2: The RJ & Fran Somewhat Fluffy Epic
by Pink Wolf Princess
Summary: RJ and Fran stay up all night.
1. Chapter 1: History

Hello. I really thought Fran & RJ were going to end up together… and still do. Which is why I'm doing this Ars Amatoria challenge. Until my other epic fluff epic, this one will go in chronological order. But they take place in the same universe- the fluff universe, if you will. There'll be 20 before JF, 20 during JF, and 20 after JF. I'm aware that this means little true fluff but hey, it's RJ/Fran. Be happy.

One

History: how RJ & Fran met.

A bag of books from her favorite half-price bookstore over her shoulder, Fran was walking down the street one June morning when she caught sight of a previously empty building. It was now clean and repainted, with a sign saying 'Jungle Karma Pizza' over the door. Fran's stomach growled.

Tilting her head, Fran thought about it for a moment. She still had a few dollars left, and it **was** lunchtime. Her stomach grumbled its agreement.

So cautiously she entered the restaurant. It was empty save for a man a year or two older than her standing behind the counter, studying what appeared to be a cookbook. He had floppy brown hair and fair skin, and was dressed in a white chef's shirt and hat that Fran could see.

"Um… hi?"

"Hi," he smiled, looking up. "Welcome to Jungle Karma Pizza."

"Thanks," Fran commented, looking around at the space. It looked nice enough. Closing his book, he asked, "How can I help you?"

"A menu might be nice," Fran admitted, edging closer to the counter. Smacking his forehead he grabbed one from by the register and held it out.

"Here you go."

Fran got within range to take the menu. As she looked through it for something to buy she asked, "So… do you own the place?"

"I own what the bank doesn't," he joked. At that Fran had to smile.

"I just opened last week… haven't gotten much press, word of mouth or otherwise, yet. But hopefully someday this will be the pizza place for Ocean Bluff."

"This all looks really good," Fran commented. The slightly quirky but totally confident demeanor of the man before her wasn't quite like anyone else Fran had ever met. "I'll have the spaghetti with meatballs though."

"All right; give it five minutes," he nodded, retreating into the kitchen while Fran took a seat at the counter. She had started to read one of her new books when he asked through the door, "I'm RJ. You?"

"Fran," she replied, not lifting her eyes from the page.

"What's in the bag?"

"Books."

"Trying to read one?"

The sheepish tone made her put in a bookmark and put away the book.

"No."

"Oh, good. Do you live here?"

"Yes. Do you?"

"I grew up here, but… left five years ago. Came back two months ago."

"Why did you leave?"

"My dad and I just didn't get along. So I left."

Fran could understand that, and admire RJ's courage.

"And why have you come back?"

RJ paused in his preparations. Why, indeed. Perhaps he had already said too much. It had taken him months to tell Master Mao as much as he had told Fran in the past minute. Well, it wasn't like he could explain the whole Pai Zhua and Dai Shi mess to her. She wasn't involved with any of it. Momentarily RJ wondered what it would be like to have that kind of innocence.

"RJ? You okay in there?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," RJ responded, realizing he had been quiet for too long. "Just thinking."

"I can understand that. Sometimes I think for so long that people think that I'm ignoring them but I'm not really I'm just thinking on a tangent and-"

"Breathe, Fran," RJ said over her rambling as he put the finishing touches on Fran's dish. Fran flushed as RJ brought out her food.

"Thanks. Sometimes when I start talking I don't know when to finish and well it gets kind of embarrassing and then I get all awkward and-"

"_Breathe_, Fran."

Flushing even more, Fran closed her mouth. Bemused, RJ put the dish in front of her.

"Here you go. Enjoy."

"Yum," Fran beamed, reaching for her silverware. "I will."

I did warn you that it'll be light on the fluff for a long time. But we will get there. Eventually.

Oh, I read somewhere that RJ & his dad split 6 years ago so if it's 2007 it would have been 5 years ago. Math isn't my best subject so correct me if I'm wrong.


	2. Chapter 2: Impression

Two

Impression: RJ & Fran's first impressions of each other

Long after Fran had left, RJ's cookbook remained closed. There had only been two customers since she left, so it wasn't like he didn't have the time to read.

But he couldn't stop thinking about her. They hadn't talked about anything particular- recent news events, how there was usually a Power Ranger team _somewhere_ by this time of the year, favorite songs on the radio, astronomy, favorite foods- everything for both of them, what kind of books she had gotten, favorite childhood stories, more about the menu, what was good on TV, recent weather, what super power they'd like to have… the list went on and on. She had stayed for three hours. Three hours. It hadn't felt that long, but according to the clock it had been.

RJ wasn't much of a talker; he preferred to listen, observe, think it over, and then make a Zen comment. Life was easier for him and more complex for everyone else that way.

Yet Fran had somehow gotten him to open up. Three hours of straight talking. Three **hours**. And he hadn't just talked about himself; Fran had talked about herself, and RJ had stored away all that data like it was new Pai Zhua styles for him to absorb.

It had worried Master Mao, how little RJ interacted with the other students. He had only gotten more worried after RJ's wolf spirit became clear. He had kept trying to drill into RJ's head that a wolf needed a pack; that lone wolves were never happy wolves.

Well, RJ had a small hope now that Fran might be the beginning of his pack. If she wanted to be, that is.

Fran was foraging through the kitchen for dinner. Both her parents had been on business trips all week, so she'd been on her own. Pretty soon she'd have to go grocery shopping, like she always had to when her parents were away for a long time.

_Or you could just go Jungle Karma Pizza_, a voice whispered in her head. Fran was a little embarrassed she had spent three hours talking to RJ. Except RJ hadn't minded. In fact, he had talked almost as much as her. Usually Fran's memory wasn't all that good, but facts about RJ kept running through her head as if she had always known them.

Occasionally a teacher would get worried about how little time Fran spent with fellow students, but it never got anywhere. Fran just didn't fit in anywhere. However, the feeling she had had in the Jungle Karma was one of home. She just hoped RJ would let her make a home in the Jungle Karma Pizza. Because she had really enjoyed their talk, and wanted to do it again soon.


	3. Chapter 3: Closer

Three

Closer: RJ & Fran discuss their hobbies

RJ and Fran had known each other for a month now. Mostly they talked food, music, local events. Fran had helped RJ with his booth for the Fourth of July celebration last week because RJ still didn't have any employees. So on occasion Fran had to help RJ out with serving and cleaning. She didn't mind. It was better than going back to an empty house. More and more Fran viewed the JKP, as it was becoming known, as her home.

There were still more slow days than fast days, and today was one of those slow days. RJ was in the kitchen fiddling with a new recipe while Fran read one of her new books. Finishing a chapter, Fran put in a bookmark and shut the book. Resting her head on one of her hands she asked towards the kitchen door, "RJ?"

"Uh-huh?" he called back.

"When you're not cooking what do you like to do?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me what you do when you're not reading or testing my cooking."

"Not much," Fran admitted. "I do a lot of reading."

"And I do a lot of cooking."

RJ had a mind on par with the greatest chess players.

"Sometimes I play chess. Especially online… there's this one guy I play with all the time. He's YellowKnight and I'm BookPawn."

"Now why do I have a bad feeling that those were puns?"

Fran just stuck her tongue out at him even if she knew he couldn't see it. RJ commented, "I like to go de-fishing."

"De-fishing?"

"Yeah, I might take you with me one time. It's more complex than chess I bet."

"I've been doing a bit of cooking myself. It's not as good as yours, of course, but it's edible."

"Nice. I'd like to try some."

Fran blushed.

"It's not that good, really, RJ."

RJ poked his head out the door. Waggling his eyebrows he informed her, "I will be the judge of that."

"Oh you!" Fran sniffed. She informed him, "I've told two, you've told one. It's your turn again."

"All right, all right," RJ mock-groaned, retreating back into the kitchen. "I like to dance."

"Dance?"

The surprise was evident in Fran's voice and the dryness was obvious in RJ's reply.

"Yes, Fran, dance. I find it enjoyable."

"Neat. I don't dance myself, really."

"Why not?"  
"Uh… self-preservation instinct?"

RJ had to grin at that.

"So. You like chess, cooking, and… what? Caroling?"

"Sing? Me?!"

"Yeah, I'm not a big fan of karaoke myself," RJ concurred. "So, what other hobbies do you have?"

"I like to watch movies. They're fun."

"Usually I can't sit still for that long. Except when I mediate. But that doesn't count."

"You like to mediate?" Fran asked curiously. "Do you do yoga too?"

"No, martial arts."

The moment he said it RJ instantly banged his head against the wall. Stupid, stupid RJ.

"Really? Neat! Can you show me a few moves?"

RJ poked his head out the kitchen door. Fran just tried to look coy, and was actually quite successful at it.

"What? Martial arts might be a good idea if the Power Rangers ever are needed here. I mean, they can't be everywhere at once so what if I'm in the way when a monster attacks? I don't want to end up as literal monster toe jam!"

"Don't even joke about that!" RJ grumbled, feeling oddly upset by the remark. Probably it was because with the whole Dai Shi thing there was an actual chance of the Power Rangers showing up- with him, of all people, involved. Probably. Fran looked sheepish.

"Sorry."

"It's all right," RJ sighed, momentarily going back into the kitchen. Bringing out his latest recipe he smiled, "Here. Let's make up over my Chocolate Banana Coconut Blast."

"Or CBCB!" Fran giggled, reaching for a spoon. RJ chuckled as he grabbed his own spoon.

"Cheers."

"Cheers," Fran nodded seriously as they clinked spoons. But RJ paused, his spoon hovering over the bowl.

"Wait."

"What?" asked Fran, eyes wide. RJ grinned.

"I told two, so you need to tell one."

"Oh, okay. Um…" Fran thought it over. "I like to walk around, see what's going on in the streets. That and I'm too scared to get a driver's license because I have really bad depth perception and that would probably result in me getting in a TON of crashes and then my parents would be even more disappointed in me and I could get hurt or who knows and-"

"Breathe, Fran," RJ told her, sticking a spoonful of Chocolate Banana Coconut Blast into her mouth.

I assure you that fluff _will_ come. Eventually.

And yes, RJ will say 'Breathe, Fran' a lot. I think it's cute.


	4. Chapter 4: Game

Thanks to talkstoangels77 & Kiseki-no-neko for reviewing. There'll be a lot of semi-fluff with RJ & Fran trying to cope with their feelings towards each other. Plus, Fran has to deal with RJ's secret-keeping (PR mentor, werewolf) while RJ has to deal with Fran's supposed relationship with Dom. But there'll be a whole fanfic devoted to the 'bringing RJ back' scene.

Nope, don't own the Power Rangers otherwise RJ & Fran would have gotten together.

Four

Game: Fran & RJ play chess one rainy day

Tucked under an umbrella, Fran made her way through the downpour to the JKP. Upon her entrance, RJ perked up.

"I thought you would come."

Fran smiled wryly. "Why not? I've come every other day."

Glancing out at the near sheet of water outside RJ's shoulders slumped slightly.

"I'm the first customer today, aren't I?"

She hadn't seen many people in the streets, and JKP still largely depended on walk-ins and word-of-mouth. So bad weather days like this would really hurt the pizza parlor's business.

"More or less," RJ shrugged. "Well, one super slow day won't cause me to shut down."

"Or I could just buy a lot of food."

RJ just chuckled and pulled a box out from under the counter. Fran came closer, leaving her dripping umbrella at the door.

"I have been saving this for a rainy day… and today is certainly a rainy day."

Fran giggled, sitting down at the counter opposite RJ.

"Ooh, it's a chess set."

"Yeah, I figured you could teach me."

Happily Fran opened the box and started to set up the board. After watching for a minute, RJ began to help. Once it was perfect Fran asked, "White or black?"

"White."

"Okay, I'll be black then."

So the game began, with Fran showing RJ what each piece was and what kinds of moves it could make. Eventually they settled down into actual playing. The first game was surprisingly close, but Fran checkmated RJ in the end. The second game he did manage to win.

"You picked it up really fast," Fran commented. RJ grinned, "I'm a fast learner. Hang on a minute."

While Fran reset the board RJ bustled around in the kitchen. A few minutes later he brought out a platter of fried banana slices.

"Snack time!" Fran joked. RJ nodded, setting the platter next to the chess board. As she picked up one slice Fran warned him, "No more Ms. Nice Girl, RJ. I'm going to win this time."

"Riiight," RJ grinned wolfishly.


	5. Chapter 5: Moonlight

And so the evolution of friendship to fluff continues… without the author owning the Power Rangers.

* * *

Five

Moonlight: RJ & Fran do some twilight shopping

"Fran."

Fran just sat at the counter, absorbed in her book.

"Fran."

Did someone say something?

"Fran."

Wait… did someone say her name?

"Fran."

Yeah, that was her.

"Fran."

It couldn't be more important than the book.

"Fran."

Sheesh, why so persistent? Fran was reading here!

"Fran."

Just one more page.

"Fran!"

Oh, it was getting to a good part… just one more chapter.

"Fran!"

This was an amazingly good book.

"Fran!"

It could wait a chapter.

"Fran!"

Okay, it might be important.

"Fran!"

Yeah, it sounded important.

"Fran!"

She could probably still finish the chapter though.

"FRAN!"

Back down to one more page.

"FRAN!!!"

One more paragraph.

Silence.

More silence.

Yes- could now finish the-

_** "FRAN!!!!!"**_

"Ack!" Fran fell off her stool, book still in hand. Removing the bullhorn from his mouth RJ looked down at the dazed brunette.

"It's closing time, Fran."

"Already?"

"Yes, already," RJ told her, amused, gesturing to the darkening sky outside the windows. "Normally I would let you stay but I really need to get some shopping done."

"Oh, could I come with you? Please?"

Fran's parents were off on business trips yet again.

"An extra pair of hands might be nice," RJ admitted. "Let's go."

* * *

RJ hopped onto the edge of the cart and wheeled down the aisle with Fran laughing as she ran behind him. They had been playing around in the grocery store for nearly half an hour, checking various items off the list.

Out of breath RJ got off the cart and skidded it to a stop as Fran caught up to him. Looking into the cart RJ compared its contents to the list. As he did so Fran studied RJ more closely because it was the first time she had seen him wearing something other than his chef's uniform. The violet sweatshirt and stone-washed jeans gave him an entirely different look- more relaxed and more edgy at the same time.

"What else do we need?" Fran asked, leaning her arms on the cart's rim. RJ glanced from the list to the cart's contents.

"Looks like we got everything. Thanks for the help, Fran."

"Any time," Fran smiled.

While checking out, Fran realized something that she almost immediately squished down into the deepest recesses of her mind. What was it?

The fact that RJ was _cute_.

_We're just friends,_ Fran reprimanded herself as they loaded the back of the Jeep. _And if I'm thinking that RJ's cute, that just means I haven't had any friends who were guys before._

_ You haven't had _any_ friends before, _grumbled a voice in her head._ So how would you know the line between friendship and relationship?!_

_ Shut __**up**_, Fran told off the voice.

Bemused, RJ interjected as he got into the driver's seat, "I didn't say anything."

"Um…" Fran's cheeks flooded as she opened the passenger seat door. "Sorry, I was talking to myself."

"I do that sometimes too," RJ admitted. Fran smiled in relief at him.

"If you tell me where you live, I can drop you off."

"What? No! I can walk home," Fran insisted. Hurriedly she wracked her mind for an excuse. "Besides, I think I left my books at the JKP."

About to turn the key, RJ paused and reached into the back of the Jeep, pulling up Fran's bag of books.

"Or not."

"So?"

"It's fine, RJ. I can walk home by myself."

As RJ looked at Fran's stubborn face, RJ's wolf spirit decided to comment on how cute Fran was. RJ just mentally slapped it upside the head. Growling and muttering to itself the wolf spirit retreated.

"Look, Fran," RJ gestured to the moonlit street. "I don't want anything to happen to you, okay?"

Hastily Fran grabbed her bag of books and hopped out of the Jeep. It was really sweet of RJ to offer, sweeter than anything else anyone had ever offered to do for her, but she didn't want RJ to see her go home to an empty house. Then she might offer for him to come inside, and she'd probably end up doing something they'd both regret. More than anything she didn't want to ruin her first friendship with probably mistaken feelings.

"I can probably find my way home from here, RJ. Thanks for the offer, but you really ought to be getting those groceries back to the JKP."

So she started to walk down the sidewalk, opposite the direction the JKP was. RJ looked up at the moon, feeling its light on his face.

He exhaled heavily, turning on the Jeep. Going very slowly he started to follow Fran. He was just being a good friend, he told himself. His wolf spirit just snorted for a response. RJ ignored it.

When Fran noticed RJ following her, she smiled lopsidedly. If he kept doing stuff like this, her feelings for him would definitely change from friendship to something more. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing she wasn't sure yet.

* * *

See? The fluff is kind of sort of starting. RJ's wolf spirit will pop up on occasion, because animal spirits are cool like that.

And yeah… I just discovered the lines, so I might overuse them while the novelty is there. Sorry.


	6. Chapter 6: Scars

Still don't own the Power Rangers, big sigh.

Six

Scars: RJ gives Fran a driving lesson

"Breathe, Fran," RJ told her. RJ had driven the two of them out onto a dirt road outside Ocean Bluff in the JKP Jeep once the working day was over. Then the two of them had switched seats. Currently Fran was, as noted, not breathing while gripping the steering wheel so tight her knuckles were turning white. Her eyes were also wider than RJ had ever thought human eyes could get.

Fran inhaled deeply. When she didn't show any signs of exhaling RJ quickly added, "And breathe out!"

Hunching over, Fran let out a whoosh of air before looking over at RJ with a wan face.

"This is a bad idea, RJ. It's worse than your Onion Ring Honey Pizza with honey mustard sauce idea. And _that_ was bad."

"Hey! Mr. Jacques liked it!"

"Mr. Jacques thinks that armpit sounds count as music. His tastes are more than a little dubious," Fran retorted, raising her eyebrows at him. RJ smiled benignly, "Perhaps when it comes to music. But the senses are separate from one another. Mr. Jacques might be tone-deaf, but that doesn't make him automatically unable to taste well."

"How do you know he doesn't have synesthesia?"

RJ closed his eyes tiredly.

"Fran, you need to learn how to drive."

"Not while I have two good legs," Fran grumbled, beginning to eye the door handle. Reaching over RJ turned the key in the ignition, starting up the Jeep. With a yelp Fran hastily buckled her seat belt. Since his was already buckled, RJ leaned back against his seat.

"We're alone, there aren't that many trees you can crash into… just try to get used to driving. Driving is a lot like cooking."

Fran shot him a sidelong look.

"I pity the poor person who had to teach you how to drive then."

Choosing to ignore the comment RJ simply adjusted Fran's grip on the steering wheel. Both of them studiously ignored the slight sparks that occurred due to the contact. Gently RJ told her, "Breathe, Fran. And remember- the journey of a thousand steps begins with one."

"I've read the same philosophy texts as you, RJ. No need to go all Zen on me," Fran informed him, but she did as he said. Biting her lower lip, she pressed down on the gas pedal. The Jeep roared ahead, going from zero to seventy in a matter of seconds. Her eyes bugging out, it was all Fran could do to keep the Jeep on the road as it zoomed on. His hands on the dashboard RJ yelled, "Stop, stop, stop!"

A narrow turn was coming up.

"We're not going to make it!" Fran screamed, closing her eyes.

"Aiiiee! Open your eyes!"

"No!"

"Stop the Jeep! Stop the Jeep!"

Her eyes still closed, Fran yelled, "Tell me when it's over!"

"You're the driver! You have to tell me!" RJ yelled back, bracing himself against the dashboard and his seat. The Jeep rushed off the road and across the field.

"Use the brake!" RJ yelled over the roar of the engine as well as the air whipping by them.

Her eyes squeezed shut, Fran seemed to be petrified.

"Breathe and open those eyes!"

Remembering that someone needed to look ahead, RJ did so.

"Uh-oh," he managed to get out. The bluff that had given the city its name was rapidly approaching. "Fran! Use the brake!"

"What?!"

"Use the brake!"

The bluff was getting closer.

"What?!"

"Use the brake!"

"AAH!" Fran was biting her lip, her eyes still screwed shut.

"Why are you screaming? You're not the one with their eyes open!" RJ demanded. Hurriedly he searched through the glove compartment for something, anything, useful. Then he poked his head up. The bluff was moments away.

"FRAN!"

"What?"

"USE THE BRAKE!" RJ was dangerously close to being scared for himself… he was already terrified for Fran.

"Use the what?" Fran asked, rigid against her seat, hands tight on the wheel. Then the Jeep flew over the bluff. Even though only RJ knew what was going on, both of them screamed their heads off as the Jeep soared through the air.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Thumping onto the sand, the Jeep resumed its implacable trek, this time towards the white-crested ocean. Finally remembering the brake, Fran's other foot poked around on the Jeep floor until she found it, releasing the gas pedal from the pressure of her first one. For a long moment the two of them just sat in the Jeep, unmoving. Then Fran slowly opened her eyes.

"When did we get here?" she puzzled, looking around at the beach. RJ gave a long, steady look.

"Right after you gave me my first grey hair."

Poking through his floppy brown hairs, RJ pointed one out to Fran.

"Yep, here it is."

Looking behind her, Fran followed the Jeep's tracks until her eyes… until they vanished. So she looked up, up, and up… to the top of the bluff.

"Oops."

"Oops just might be an understatement."

"See, this is why I shouldn't drive," Fran informed RJ. Reaching over to tug one of her pigtails RJ couldn't help but to grin.

"I think you've scarred me for life."

Eventually Fran does figure how to drive… eventually. By the time Dom shows up in Jungle Fury for sure.


	7. Chapter 7: Patience

Don't own the Power Rangers; just the plot. And why is the plot sometimes called the plot bunny? Just curious.

Seven

Patience: RJ gives Fran a cooking lesson

"RJ, you _do_ remember what happened when you tried to give me a driving lesson, don't you?" Fran asked- her voice was somewhat muffled because RJ was in the process of tugging a red apron over her head. It had almost been three weeks since **that** little adventure. Jerking it down, RJ smiled down at her.

"This saturday morning work for you?"

"No!" But there wasn't any bite to Fran's voice. She felt… secure in the shady, surprisingly neat kitchen of the JKP. But being oh so close to RJ was doing absurd things to her heart rate as it did more and more often these days. Gently RJ guided her over to the island in the center of the kitchen.

"Look, it's just a pizza."

"I don't know. I've never tried to cook anything that complicated before," Fran fretted. RJ just lightly squeezed her wrists.

"You'll do fine. I'll be right here the whole time."

Fran looked up, met his steady brown eyes with her wide brown eyes.

"Okay. What should I do first?"

"First we make the dough."

Contrary to what his wolf spirit might think, RJ was only keeping in such close contact with Fran to ensure that her first pizza didn't end in disaster. _Sure it is_, his wolf spirit taunting him by enhancing his sense of small to wolf levels, enabling him to breathe in Fran's wildflower shampoo scent all the better.

As his hands guided hers as they rolled out the dough, RJ suddenly realized how tense Fran's back muscles were against his chest. Leaning down, he whispered into her ear, "Relax, Fran. It's just pizza."

_It's not the pizza that has you nervous_, the now nearly-constant voice in a quiet corner of Fran's mind chuckled cheekily. She could feel RJ's chest through her shirt (and now Fran knew first hand he hadn't been kidding about the martial arts); she could hear his heart beating; she could smell him- a mixture of the foods he cooked and something a lot less tame that she couldn't quite identify; she could see his hands gently overlaying hers as the dough flattened out; and she was beginning to wonder what RJ would taste like. _Oh, __bad__ Fran._

_No, __good__ Fran_, the voice corrected her.

_Go away._

_ Nuh-uh._

_ Would you tell her that you're her mate already!_ RJ's wolf spirit demanded meanwhile. RJ just retorted firmly, _We don't know that._

_ Yes, we do! Well, _I _do anyway._

_ It's probably just hormones- besides, how would you know? We've barely spent any time with any other female besides Fran._

_ Haven't you ever wondered why that is?_

_ It's not like that!_

_ Would you get your head straight already! If you won't acknowledge the chance Fran might have feelings towards you, the least you can do for all four of us is to acknowledge your own!_

_ Four?!_

_ Er, three. (I thought he knew!)_

From the deep recesses of his mind RJ's secondary animal spirits- the tiger and the jaguar- momentarily roused themselves to shake their heads in resigned amusement at both the wolf spirit and RJ himself before relapsing into his subconscious.

"Um… is it flat enough?"

His train of thought broken, RJ reminded himself to return his attention to Fran and the pizza they were making.

"Just about. Since it's your first time, we won't toss it. Now it's time for the sauce, all right?"

"Okay," Fran nodded, her hair brushing against his cheek. RJ's heart gave a little hiccup, which in turn caused his wolf spirit to growl softly in triumph.

_You think _you're_ patient? Trust me, I can outwait you._

RJ ignored it as he helped Fran ladle out the sauce. With a slight giggle she turned her head to look at RJ.

"I can do this much by myself, RJ."

"Oh, sorry," RJ replied, releasing her hands. As he watched her spread out the sauce across the dough he was forced to concede that there was something special about Fran. He just didn't know what it was yet.

His wolf spirit snorted. Again, RJ ignored it.

Fran flushed, feeling RJ's eyes on her.

"Am I doing okay?"

"You're doing great," he assured her. Wryly Fran observed, "Considering how the last lesson you gave me turned out, this is almost a miracle."

"Patience, Fran," RJ assured her. "Eventually you'll be driving."

"You of all people should know better," Fran noted, sprinkling the cheese liberally over the pizza. Eying her slim fingers RJ wondered if her fingers could fit into his hair as well as they did into the cheese.

_ Ack!_

_ Don't look at me_, his wolf spirit huffed. _That one was all you… although I'll take any and all credit for any attention paid to her bottom._

The reference had RJ looking at the said part. It was cute.

_See?_

_ Go chase some cats or something._

_ Why? This is a lot more fun… and hopefully a lot more productive too._

Fran's voice interrupted RJ before he could come up with a suitable comeback.

"Hey, RJ?"

"Yes?"

"What kind of toppings should I put on it?"

"Any that you want," RJ shrugged.

"You sure?"

"Have I ever said anything that I wasn't sure about?"

With a slight smile Fran began to poke around among the other edible items of the kitchen. As she sprinkled pepperoni on top of the cheese she commented, "RJ?"

"Hm?" RJ caught himself looking at Fran's butt again. Mentally he glowered at his wolf spirit, who had, after all, given him permission to blame him for anything involving him noticing Fran's butt.

She smiled earnestly at him.

"Thanks for the cooking lesson."

"It's not over yet," he reminded her. Fran just smiled more widely at him, and RJ could do nothing else save smile back.

Fluff is good, but reviews are better!


	8. Chapter 8: Let me tell you a story

I own nothing save the plot bunny. Which is soft and cute and adorable.

However Haim Saban owns the Power Rangers once again. Yeah. You heard me. Er, read me. Google it if you don't believe me.

Eight

"Let me tell you a story": one day at the JKP Fran tells RJ a story

_Whoomp_.

This sound told RJ that Fran had arrived with her latest batch of books from a half-price bookstore. It was a little scary how fast she could read. Once she had read the entire _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy in less than a week; and another time _Dune_ in three days.

"Hey, Fran. What'll be today?"

Fran rarely ate the same dish twice in a week. If she did, RJ knew she really must have liked it.

"Anything new?"

Fran loved how RJ was always changing up the menu; keeping what people had liked and replacing what hadn't sold well… such as the Onion Ring Honey Pizza. Sometimes RJ got a little too creative. But better over-creative than under-creative, Fran figured.

"Flower Power Pizza!"

Fran raised her eyebrows.

"I'm going to trust you, RJ, and buy that without any other data."

Beaming, RJ began work on the pizza.

"Any good books?"

"A lot," and Fran started on one of her trademark rambles. Three-quarters listening as he continued work on the dough, RJ periodically reminded Fran to breathe when he thought she had gone a little too far without taking a breath. Then she said something that made RJ jump.

"A book on the what?"

"Pai Zhua," Fran repeated herself happily. "It's by some guy named A.P. Which is a weird name… but it's still a good book."

When RJ was silent Fran decided she needed to elaborate some more.

"Pai Zhua, or Order of the Claw, is a martial arts academy thing-y. They came into existence about sixteen thousand years ago as an offshoot of the Animaria civilization."

RJ hadn't heard that before. Then again, he usually had fallen asleep in Master Naga's history classes.

"But it didn't take long for the Pai Zhua to grow apart from the rest of Animaria and become like a sub-culture or a secret society. I had so idea California was so advanced!"

_It was until the Org Wars_, RJ sighed to himself. Even before he knew he was a fellow Wolf, he had always loved the story of the Wolf Protector. Of course, it was aggravating how it had been during those wars that dragons were all but extinguished. RJ would have loved to meet a real dragon, and he had no doubts Fran felt the same way. Remembering to inform Fran that he was in fact listening to her he commented, "So then what happened?"

Even though Master Mao himself had told him, Dom, and Jarrod (as the most advanced students) the rest of the story.

"Well, thirteen thousand years ago there were two students who came from the same village. Felix and Ryuu. They proved very skilled in the Pai Zhua way, quickly becoming Masters. They were best friends until Ryuu decided that humans were too impure to live as a species, that we were corrupting the Earth. So he left the Pai Zhua and studied the darker forms of martial arts, which he absorbed as readily as he had the Pai Zhua."

"Breathe, Fran."

"I am!"

"Un-huh," RJ smiled indulgently. He… oops, really liked Fran. His wolf spirit just huffed at him.

"The Dark Days had begun, where intergalactic wars were being waged for dominion of the universe. At the heart of the wars was Earth."

Fran frowned pensively.

"What is so important about Earth? I mean, clearly this book thinks we're not the only planet out there with life. So why…?"

RJ had a theory on that, and since when he had asked Master Mao about it the wizened Pai Zhua master had simply skirted around the topic which implied that he was on the right scent at least.

"Fran- why the tangent on the Dark Days?"

"Well, the war against Dai Shi, as Ryuu now called himself, was part of the Dark Days for starters. Furthermore, Felix sought out the advice of Zordon of Eltar, the greatest wizard-warrior of that time, to find a way to stop his old friend.

"Zordon told him that he had already spoken to the Oracle, who had foreseen three young warriors who would stop Dai Shi once and for all. But they would not come for a long time yet, so Zordon bestowed upon the Pai Zhua Masters a new level of power, where they could truly become one with their animal spirits. Now they were ready for the final battle of the era against Dai Shi.

"Master Felix Mao led the battle. Master Guin, Master Lope, Master Rilla, Master Swoop, Master Phant, and Master Finn joined him. Hey, RJ- a relative of yours?"

"My great-great-grandfather," RJ replied but he wasn't hurt when Fran just giggled. It was better that way.

"Despite some losses, the Masters managed to seal Dai Shi within a box. A box? Contain a super-evil, super-powerful Darth Vader guy inside a box?"

Now that RJ thought about it, it did seem a little weird.

"I dunno. I guess a box was easy to take with them to the battlefield."

"That's just the short summary," Fran warned him. "So far I've just skimmed it."

"Can I borrow it some time?"

"You can have it," Fran shrugged. "I mean, you're the one into martial arts. It's not like the history of the Pai Zhua will ever affect me."

_Ah, but it already has,_ RJ thought to himself as he brought out Fran's Flower Power Pizza.


	9. Chapter 9: Gift

Review credit time! Lots of thank yous to talkstoangels 77 not just for reviewing but for explaining the plot bunnies which _do_ multiply (no, I won't explain the four thing- all I'll say is that RJ's wolf spirit does know what it's talking about); Kiseki-no-neko, patience with the makeouts (although there might be a few sooner than you think…); a big hug (unless you don't want it) to Donna8 for commenting on the driving scene since I laughed almost the whole time I was writing it; and hiya to Witchgirl66- thanks to you all for reviewing. Do it again soon, okay?

:)

Haim Saban owns the Power Rangers, not me or Disney. Heh-heh. 18th season of Power Rangers, here I come!

Nine

Gift: it's RJ's birthday, and Fran got him a present

"Ow!"

"Sorry, RJ," Fran apologized as she led RJ outside. Since she had blindfolded RJ with a purple bandana she was leading him, but had ended up walking him into a dumpster.

"I'm okay," RJ assured her, his arms stretched out in front of him. "But Fran, you really didn't have to get me a present."

"It's the autumn equinox and your twenty-first birthday. Yeah, no biggie," Fran snorted, edging RJ along. "Of course I got you a present. My birthday is on tax day- so you better not forget _my_ birthday present."

"I won't," RJ promised just as Fran jerked him to a halt. Reaching up she untied the bandana.

"Ta-da!"

As RJ stared at his gift Fran went on a ramble.

"I went to this flea market a few weeks and I saw this and it just looked perfect for you and I know that after a long day at work you probably just want to relax and watch TV or eat a snack or read… hey did you ever read that Pie Swah book I gave to you? Pie Swah… something like that. Anyway I tested it out and it was great and I think you'll like it and the flea market was so cool I got a lot of stuff for me and maybe next time we could go together I know we'd have a ton of fun-"

"Breathe, Fran."

"Oh. Right. So, do you like it?"

RJ just nodded. Cautiously he sat down in it.

"Oooh."

Fran giggled. Yeah, he liked it all right.

RJ pulled the lever and laid back. For a moment he stared up at the darkening blue sky but then sat back up.

"This is amazing, Fran!"

Fran swayed back and forth slightly out of excitement, beaming.

"I'm glad you like it."

RJ ran a hand across the fuzzy green material that covered it.

"Wow. This is great, Fran."

Fran just squeezed her shoulders up, pleased that her gift had gone over so well.

RJ looked up at Fran, his heart feeling oddly… well, RJ didn't know the word to describe what he was feeling. He had only mentioned that his birthday was on the autumn equinox back at the summer solstice, when Fran had poked into the mystical meanings of the eight major Celtic holidays. That she had remembered and had decided to celebrate it astounded him.

"What did I do to deserve a friend as wonderful as you?"

It was soft, but sincerely curious. Fran just walked over to him and surprised both of them by running a hand through his floppy brown hair.

"You were you."

Coughing sheepishly she stepped back.

"I also made a cake."

"Uh-oh," RJ couldn't help but tease. Going over to her neon pink moped (a temporary compromise between walking and driving) Fran got out a lilac box.

"Here it is!"

After they had hauled Fran's present into the kitchen, RJ shepherded Fran into the main area of the JKP. Only a touch upset RJ hadn't let her into a more personal side of his life (although Fran had to admit she was doing the same to him) Fran opened up the cake box.

It was liberally coated in chocolate icing with purple icing spelling out 'Happy Birthday RJ'. RJ licked his lips.

"Looks good."

"I hope it tastes as good as it looks," Fran commented wryly. RJ shot her a fond look.

"If you made it, it's at least palatable."

Flushing Fran begun to cut two slices of cake- one for her and one for RJ. Afterwards RJ playfully tugged on one of her two pigtails.

"It was delicious, Fran. Maybe you could open up a bookstore slash bakery some day. Fran's B&B."

Fran just giggled. More thoughtfully she asked, "Do you have anyone else who'll celebrate your birthday with you?"

RJ thought it over. Master Mao had sent him a wolf pendant last week; a few days ago Dom had sent him a postcard from New Zealand wishing him a happy birthday; and when he had visited Master Swoop last month he had wished him an early happy birthday and had given him a box of tea.

"Not here and now," RJ had to admit. "But I do have friends. We're just spread apart, that's all."

"How many?" Fran asked.

"Four, including you."

"Lucky," Fran sighed.

RJ opened his mouth but before he could say anything Fran made an effort to perk up and commented, "But today is your special day! What else do you want to do?"

"Give you another driving lesson?"

Fran slapped him on the arm.

RJ laughed, "It was worth a shot!"

I don't suppose you guys can guess what Fran got RJ for his birthday, can you?


	10. Chapter 10: Simplicity

Virtual candy corn for Donna8 and talkstoangels77. I decided to do that because we never did find out where the chair came from… just that RJ loved it beyond reason. This fanfic is more of a flow-of-consciousness than an actual one-shot. I think it'll be the only one like that, in case you dislike it.

Ten

Simplicity: Fran and RJ view each other as anything but simple

Most of the JKP's customers saw RJ as a bit of a goofball with a way in the kitchen. Fran felt almost… smug for knowing better. For knowing just how complex RJ was. How complex? She would swear she saw a new side of him each day.

Most people saw Fran as just a quirky bookworm with a love of good food. RJ was aware of that. But they didn't take the time to get to know her like he did. What was odd was how Fran seemed to have viewed herself as simple… until he had started to explore her psyche and illuminated just how amazing it was.

Fran felt as if there could be an entire encyclopedia dedicated to the various aspects of RJ. There was the relaxed and easy-going cook; the super-loyal friend; there was a playful puppy side of him that Fran was 99% sure that only she could lure out; the intense pro-nature advocate; and at least a dozen more, some of which Fran hadn't found yet. But she was going to. She knew it.

RJ watched Fran thoughtfully fiddle with her food at the counter. It was hard to tell what Fran was thinking about a lot of the time. But at the same time he could almost sense her emotions and thoughts better than his own. It was… interesting.

What was interesting about to RJ, or extra interesting to Fran anyway, was that he had ambition and she could tell he was applying it… just not to JKP. So what was he applying it to? It was almost hurtful at times- just when she thought she knew RJ as well as, or maybe better than, herself something popped up to prove there were hidden layers to him that he hadn't showed her yet. But she'd see them eventually… one way or another.

What versatility her face had kept surprising RJ. Usually it was in 'cutely awkward' mode, but when she wanted to she could be quite coy or imposing. Whether it was a good thing or a bad thing that she didn't want to very enough he didn't know. It was a good thing, for him, that secret happiness that he got from knowing he was the only person to see that part of Fran. But was it a good thing for Fran, sharing that deeper part of herself with only him?

Sometimes it worried Fran, while his life with her and the JKP was simulating enough, that RJ had no apparent life outside it. At least she had books. Then again, books, JKP, and RJ had become intertwined in the past few months. Uh-oh. Maybe she was in the same boat as RJ. Not an entirely unpleasant thought. That little smug voice started up, extra smug this time, so Fran shushed it so she could start reading.

Sometimes RJ just watched Fran read, as she was doing now. Watching the quiet quirks of her face to see what was going on in the book. Any barriers she put up went down when she read. Even the ones she maintained when around him. It was a private dream of his to have Fran be that emotionally open to him… if only so he could be just as emotionally open to her. Contrary to what his wolf spirit might think, they were only friends.

There was a bit of foreshadowing there… did you catch it?


	11. Chapter 11: Smile

I love the Power Rangers, but I don't own them. Sigh. And yes, I'm messing around with the lines again (I hope, I hope).

There are kind of sort of references to SPD & RPM. (Part of PR equals not mine)

And there's decidedly a reference to _The Lion King_. (I don't own it, and Disney doesn't own PR anymore)

Although I own nothing but the plot bunny, I want to dedicate this one-shot to my parents for being not at all like Fran's parents. I love you, Mom & Dad!

Eleven

Smile: RJ makes Fran smile

Fran was depressed. Her parents had both finally come home last night from business trips, but so far had spent their entire time home up in their studies hard at work. Eating dinner alone was rough; eating dinner alone knowing your parents are upstairs working away was worse. So now Fran was miserable. So miserable she didn't even feel like reading.

RJ's Fran radar was all stressed out over seeing Fran so low. When she just sat at the counter instead of ordering food he knew he had to act. Very little could alter Fran's appetite. Luckily it was a slow day, but even if it hadn't been, he still would have moved to cheer up Fran any way he could. So he rushed up to his room to get a sure-fire way to get Fran's spirits up.

Not even hungry, Fran at first didn't realize that a lime green sock puppet with white button eyes had popped up in front of her spot. When she did, she scrunched up her face.

"RJ?"

Oh, she even **sounded** depressed. RJ nearly let out a whimper before remembering he could now put his plan into action since she had noticed the sock puppet.

"La, la, la, it's a wonderful day," he made the lime green puppet chirp. "Hm, what should I do today?"

A second sock puppet appeared- this one black with silver button eyes.

"Hello, Leafie."

RJ gave this sock puppet a bass voice.

"Hi, Doyle. I want to have fun today!"

"You want to have fun every day."

"True. But I want to have MORE fun today."

"How?"

"Uh…"

Shaking its head Doyle disappeared. In its place a few seconds later was a purple sock with black button eyes.

"Greeetings, Leeafie."

RJ made this sock puppet sound like a typical robot. Whatever that meant.

Fran was now watching the sock puppet show with wary interest, unsure of what RJ was doing.

"Oh, hi, E-22. I want to have fun today!" RJ made Leafie 'jump' up and down out of excitement. E-22 cocked its head at Leafie.

"What is this fun you speeak of? I do not undeerstand."

"It's _**fun**_!"

"Leeafie, you can not deefine a word by saying thee word."

"Why not?" Leafie inquired, still squirming.

Okay, Fran had to admit, the sock puppet show was interesting. But she was still feeling upset about her parents. So when RJ snuck a peek she was still just sitting there, melancholy.

"I neeed to go and savee the world," E-22 informed Leafie prior to disappearing. A new sock puppet rose up majestically in its place. It was a white knee sock with moss green button eyes and held a long-handled wooden spoon in its mouth.

"Ooo," went Leafie. "King Sock-a-lot. Hi."

King Sock-a-lot just looked down at Leafie.

"I want to have fun today. Want to join me?"

For a response King Sock-a-lot just whapped Leafie on the head with his spoon. Laying the spoon down on the counter King Sock-a-lot stated in a Western twang, "Kings don't have fun. We are dignified."

King Sock-a-lot retrieved its spoon and slowly lowered itself down below the counter. As it did so Leafie blew a raspberry at it, making King Sock-a-lot momentarily rise back up to whap Leafie on the head again with the spoon.

Fran nearly smiled at that little piece, but she still wasn't anywhere close to her usual levels of good cheer. So RJ brought forth another sock puppet to join Leafie.

This one was gray wool with brown button eyes. RJ made it sound grandmotherly.

"Now, Leafie, what's this about you wanting to have fun?"

"Oh, I love having fun, Great-Great-Great-Aunt Sock-ella. And I want to have a lot of it!"

"Then go and have some, dear. You aren't going to go have fun if you're sitting here wishing you're having fun."

"You know something, Great-Great-Great-Aunt Sock-ella? You're right. I'm going to go have fun!"

And Leafie popped down below the counter. Great-Great-Great-Aunt Sock-ella turned to Fran.

"Do you need anything, dear?"  
"No, Great-Great-Great-Aunt Sock-ella," Fran finally smiled. "Thank you."

So the sock puppet disappeared. Rising up, Fran looked over the edge of the counter to see RJ kneeling there with a cardboard box of sock puppets next to him.

"Hi, RJ."

"Hi, Fran."

RJ smiled up at the young woman.

"You're smiling!"

"I thought that was the purpose of this… project," Fran giggled. If RJ had a tail, it'd be wagging like crazy.

"And giggling! It worked!"

"Thank you, RJ. Great-Great-Great-Aunt Sock-ella is right. I won't cheer up by sitting here wishing I was cheerful."

RJ flushed as he put the sock puppets away.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't supposed to be a fable. I just don't like seeing you sad, Fran."

Fran thought it over for a minute.

"I don't think I'd like seeing you sad either."

Touched, RJ said, "Oh, now I'm going to cry!"

No wanting that Fran changed the subject.

"Where did you get the sock puppets, RJ?"

"Oh, I make them out of my mate-less sock puppets."

"What happens if you find the mate after you've made the other into a sock puppet?"

"For better or for worse that has never happened so far."

"Huh."

Fran smiled as she reached to tousle RJ's hair.

"I'm glad when I finally made a friend, it was the best friend in the world."

"Right back at you."

It just came out of RJ's mouth but the moment he said it he knew it to be true. Fran was his best friend, even more so than Dom. The two of them were close in ways that he wasn't with anyone else.

"And I mean it."

Fran's smile just grew wider. And so did RJ's.


	12. Chapter 12: Routine

Disclaimer: I don't own _Young Wizards_ or Power Rangers. Or LeAnn Rimes.

Twelve

Routine: Fran comes upon RJ doing a dance routine

Fran yawned and sat up in the corner booth at the JKP. After staying up all night reading the entire _Young Wizards_ series thus far in honor of Halloween next week she had needed a nap so she had taken one with RJ's permission. Looking around, she realized that something was wrong.

The lights were off, all the chairs were up on the tables, and the counter looked as clean as it did at the beginning of the day. Fran squinted at the clock. Oops. It was nine thirty at night, and the JKP closed at eight thirty on week days. Double oops.

Picking up her bag of books Fran left the booth. As she had been tucked away in the booth RJ must have figured she had left earlier since it had been a fairly busy day. So he had gone ahead and closed down the JKP for the night.

Carefully Fran made her way to the kitchen door and entered. From up the stairs she could hear pop music.

_Too bad he's awake,_ noted that aggravating little voice of hers. _You could have pulled a reverse Sleeping Beauty._

_Shut up! _Fran told it.

_ Sorry, but you're stuck with me._

Opting to ignore the voice (well aware that she had been thinking the same thing) Fran slowly made her way up the stairs. She had never been up them before, and was a little scared of how RJ might react to her entering his den. Er, loft. Not den. Where had she gotten that word?

_ From me!_

Oh, of course. Fran grumbled softly to herself as she reached the top of the stairs. Shyly she walked into RJ's loft. It opened up into a large room in which RJ was dancing to the music playing out of the CD player. Fran noted it was a LeAnn Rimes song.

Dressed in jeans and a pale purple sweatshirt RJ moved to the beat. He hadn't been kidding about the dancing- he was amazingly good. So instead of interrupting Fran just watched him dance. She half-wished she was dancing with him.

RJ was also wishing he was dancing with Fran, something he had never wanted before. His dancing was highly private; Fran was the only person beside him to know about it. But then he sensed something, and halted.

His eyes searched the semi-darkness and found a tousle-haired Fran near the top of the stairs. Turning off his CD player he apologized, "Sorry, Fran. I didn't realize you were here."

"It's okay," Fran shrugged uncomfortably. "I just wanted to let you know I was leaving. I overslept."

"Sure," RJ grinned sheepishly. "Well, I hope you had a nice nap."

"I did," Fran nodded, edging towards the stairs. "See you, RJ."

"Fran?"

"Yeah?"

"Want to…?" and RJ gestured vaguely.

"Um… okay."

Her book bag thumping onto the floor Fran walked over to RJ and he began her dance lesson. Gently he guided her around the dance area.

It was easier than Fran thought dancing would be, and more fun too. And RJ looked like he was having fun too. When the CD ended, they were standing together a little too close together for comfort so Fran stepped back. Brushing some hair away from her face she commented, "I really ought to be heading home."

Ask her to stay, ask her to stay, his wolf spirit demanded. But all RJ would say was, "Okay. See you tomorrow, Fran."

Shooting him a bright smile she hurried over and received her book bag before heading down the stairs. Exhaling, RJ sat down in his chair, wondering why he hadn't given in to his wolf spirit.


	13. Chapter 13: Change

Disclaimer: I own the plot bunny, not the Power Rangers. And since we never saw Master Mao & RJ interact that I can recall I've made a slight tweak. And I'm half-hoping you guys know data on the old seasons, and half-hoping you don't. Be happy. This is an extra long one-shot.

BUT FIRST: thank yous to- talkstoangels77 (clue- the head whack was the LK –which I don't own- reference & yeah Young Wizards are an amazing series which I don' own); Donna8 I had a certain fanfic planned prior to your squishing together idea… let's just say you're not the only one who feels that way; and ChristalSteele (hi but hey if you want more RJ/Fran figure out how to join & write some yourself- that's what I did for Billy/Kim and now RJ/Fran but they're just the beginning). Review to get credit for reviewing.

Thirteen

Change: Master Mao visits RJ at Christmas- even before Fran

After watching a marathon of Christmas movies, RJ had fallen asleep in his wonderful comfy green chair in front of his TV station at the end of his loft. When he woke up, the first thing he saw was an expressionless Master Mao in his orange and black attire.

The expressionless part was par for the course as far as Master Mao was concerned; it was more the fact that Master Mao was in his loft at all that had RJ concerned. Blinking blearily he asked, "Uh… why are you here?"

"Greetings, Robert," Master Mao bobbed his head slightly at the much, much younger man. "I need to speak to you."

"I'm not filling in for Master Iris again," RJ groaned at the memory. Master Mao just glared slightly at him and began walking away. Dressed casually in grey sweatpants and a faded purple T-shirt RJ followed, his bare feet chilled by the wooden floor.

"So, what's up then?"

Looking around, Master Mao didn't reply but only said, "You have done well here I see."

"Well enough."

Spotting a picture on the wall Master Mao asked, "And who is this?"

Coming over to stand next to him RJ saw it was a picture of him and Fran at the Fourth of July celebration roughly five months ago.

"Oh. Um. Well. Fran. That's Fran," RJ hurried to elaborate. "She's the JKP's best customer and we've become friends."

Master Mao opted to just eye RJ in mild distrust. RJ's wolf spirit took this opportunity to point out that even Master Mao could tell but RJ didn't buy that. Putting his hands behind his back, Master Mao finally explained to RJ why he was at the JKP at five in the morning.

"I am sensing a disturbance in the Power. Dai Shi, no matter my best efforts, shall escape soon."

"But you're going to do whatever you can anything, aren't you?" Master Mao's great fault, in RJ's opinion, was that he refused to bend in the wind or even acknowledge change. "Including dying."

When Master Mao nodded, RJ looked at him oddly.

"If I knew my death was impeding, I'd be a lot more stressed out."

With a small smile Master Mao walked back towards the TV station.

"You are twenty-one years old. I am twenty thousand years ago. By the normal human reckoning I should have died a very long time ago. By even Pai Zhua reckoning I ought to not have lived this long. It is my time."

_It doesn't have to be! _RJ mentally protested. _You said yourself your death isn't needed to do anything- it'll just hold back the inevitable for a bit or not even that. So why die?_

Master Mao allowed himself a slightly sardonic smile.

"You do not understand. Perhaps you will someday."

RJ doubted that very much, and his wolf spirit huffed in agreement. It might be one of those cat and dog things.

When Master Mao moved as if he was about to sit in RJ's chair RJ opened his mouth and then shut it. It wouldn't do to refuse the head Pai Zhua master the seat he preferred. But Master Mao remained standing, although he walked around the chair once.

"This is new."

"Fran gave it to me for my birthday this past fall," RJ admitted. "Her birthday is in April… I'll need to get her something."

"Quite." Momentarily pensive, Master Mao went on to further explain himself.

"Once I am gone, the new guardians will need guidance. I know I will live long enough to choose them… but how much longer is up for snatches."

"Grabs," RJ corrected him.

"Excuse me?"

"It's up for grabs, not up for snatches."

"But Lily said…" Master Mao raised his eyes upwards. "That girl needs even more training. Then she might be less mischievous."

RJ had no idea who this 'Lily' person was but he liked her already.

"In any case, the three guardians will not be able to defeat Dai Shi on their own. They will need a new master. And of course Dai Shi shall return to the area where he was captured. His headquarters still stands near it."

Uh-oh. Ocean Bluff now stood near where that ancient battle had taken place. Double uh-oh.

"Master Swoop, possibly Master Phant maybe, my dad…" RJ tried to wiggle his way out. But Master Mao just kept his brown eyes steady on RJ.

"You shall be their new master, Robert. There is no one better suited to the task than you. I trust that you will be capable of it."

_Why did I have to be such a good student?_ RJ mentally wailed. His wolf spirit apologized, well aware of its role in RJ's drive. Unmoved, Master Mao inquired, "Of course, if you do not want to help the guardians defend the world from Dai Shi…"

Rin Shi.

"No need to emotionally blackmail me," RJ sighed, doing the subservient bow that was classic Pai Zhua. "I'll do it."

"Spicy."

Figuring that the word was another expression gone awry RJ sighed, "If you're referring to something that pleases you, it's 'sweet' not 'spicy'."

"Lily," Master Mao muttered under his breath as he walked towards the stairs down to the kitchen. RJ couldn't help but smile. After watching him down the stairs RJ loped off to get dressed and contact his cousin Billy. If he was going to do this master (make that **mentor**) thing right, he was going to need Billy's help.

Ten minutes later he was downstairs in the kitchen when he heard a loud sound at the door. Since it sounded like books hitting the floor, RJ thought it was Fran. After the 'incident' at Thanksgiving he had given her a key so she could come and go as she pleased. And entering the main area of the restaurant he saw that it was- her old book satchel's bottom had fallen out causing all books to tumble down onto the floor. Bemused, RJ went over and helped her to pick them up. Then he looked up at the top frame of the door.

"What the-? Uh-oh."

Half the books in RJ's arms and the other half in her arms, Fran looked up as well. 'Uh-oh' summed up the situation. Dangling from the top frame was a sprig of mistletoe. Blushing furiously RJ told Fran, "I promise that it wasn't me. It must have been one of the customers last evening- it's not like I had to clean the glass door pane last night or anything. It must have slipped my notice."

"Well, it's definitely there," Fran observed. Slowly, awkwardly they stood up with their armloads of books serving as buffers. Stubbornly ignoring his elated wolf spirit RJ suggested, "We don't have to, you know…"

"That's a good idea. I don't know how."

"Yeah. Neither do I."

But the two of them just kept staring at that blasted piece of green. Biting her lower lip Fran gently placed her load of books on the floor.

"Well, if I don't know what I'm doing and if you don't know what you're doing then it won't matter it either of us (or both of us) are bad at it."

_ YES!_

Hormone-crazy wolf spirit, RJ sighed to himself, but he too was experiencing a surge of what he insisted were just hormones.

_Did I just say that?_ Fran internally panicked. _What if RJ doesn't want to kiss me?_

_So… you admit that you want to kiss him?_ her inner voice asked smugly. This topic had been the source for a debate for almost a month now. Nowhere left to hide Fran had to concede. _Yes._

Her inner voice did a loop-de-loop out of triumph. Meanwhile RJ's wolf spirit was wagging its tail rapidly as RJ cautiously lowered his books to the floor. Then he took a step closer to Fran.

"Are you sure?"

"Are you?" Fran countered. "Because I know that I am, but if you're not that's okay because I know you need to start making pizzas soon and I did bring lots of books to read today and the JKP will be busy today since it is-"

Normally this was the point where RJ would tell Fran to breathe. But today he had another option.

He put his lips to hers. At first neither was sure how exactly to kiss- did you move or not, and how much did you kiss back?- but then they figured it out and… whoa.

RJ's hand was cupping half of her face, and the warm pressure was making her heart pound. The kiss itself was making Fran feel, for the first time in her life, actually attractive. Speaking of which, she thought people only kissed like she and RJ were kissing in romance novels. Shyly she splayed her hands out on his chest to feel his own heart beating fast.

RJ was fairly sure he could kiss Fran forever. If he had known kissing Fran would be like this, he would have done it a long time ago.

Once they pulled apart, they stared at each other for a long instant. Then somehow they were kissing again. Sliding her hands up RJ's chest, up his shoulders, up his neck, and up into that fluffy hair of his Fran couldn't be happier. RJ put his hands on Fran's hips and pulled her in close to him. He felt… _alive_ wherever their bodies met, but the kiss was the clincher.

Removing her mouth from his, eliciting a whimper from RJ, Fran started to nuzzle at RJ's neck, shifting her hands back down to his chest. Suddenly remembering something other than the moment Fran pulled back. But RJ kept his hands on her hips.

"One more time," he promised as he moved in for a third kiss. Whether he was promising himself, her, or someone or something else entirely Fran didn't know and wasn't sure she cared.

This kiss was more about warmth and lasting where the other two had been more about heat and now. Snug in RJ's arms, Fran wanted the kiss to last forever. And RJ, with Fran in his arms, wanted the same thing.

So both RJ's wolf spirit and Fran's inner voice were most aggravated when the two separated, broke apart awkwardly, and then proceeded throughout the day as if nothing had happened.


	14. Chapter 14: Dare

Don't own the Power Rangers. But apparently in 2001 or so Saban copyrighted the phrase 'Power Ranger Babies'. I'm thinking Rugrats (not mine) mixed with Power Rangers. Thoughts? 

Fourteen

Dare: RJ & Fran deal with their changing emotions towards each other

_How could this have happened?_ Fran demanded of herself, lying eagle-style on her bed one evening.

_Destiny?_ tried her inner voice.

If Fran could have glared at her inner voice she would have.

_Okay, okay. But it's too late to actually do anything about it now, isn't it?_

_ No, it's not._

_ Oh?  
_ Her inner voice waited for an explanation on how exactly it wasn't too late. Finally Fran huffed out a breath.

_This is not good._

_ Meh._

_ Meh?_

_At least you're not in denial anymore, _sniffed her inner voice. Fran exhaled and rolled over onto her back.

_ But now that I know I like RJ what am I supposed to do about it?_

Her inner voice replied as if it were obvious.

_ Tell him._

Fran just closed her eyes wearily. But she had to wonder-

_How could I have dared to fall in love with my best friend?_

_ Hello? Destiny!_

Fran just kept her eyes closed and waited for sleep to come. Although that would only lead to yet another day where she had to pretend as if the kiss had occurred in some alternate dimension. But any day with RJ in it was a good one, a better one than she still refused to admit.

Up in his loft, RJ was pacing furiously back and forth. Lying down by his chair his wolf spirit observed, _You're going to end up crashing through the ceiling if you keep this up._

RJ glowered at his wolf spirit.

"This is all your fault."

The wolf spirit just yawned to show its opinion of that.

"It's not funny! I kissed Fran! I KISSED FRAN!"

_ If you kissed Fran on a regular basis we wouldn't be having this problem._

That made sense, but RJ wasn't about to admit to that.

"Yeah, well. Fran hasn't brought it up again so she probably wants to pretend it never happened."

_ Or that's what she thinks you think._

"Would you stop making sense?" RJ demanded. His wolf spirit complied.

_ An Irish pineapple lies to the Mercurian mango over and below the penguin in the hula skirt._

RJ just ran his hands through his hair, opting not to response to his wolf spirit. It had been three agonizing weeks since the kiss. Or more accurately, the kisses. What had RJ on edge was the fact he wanted to increase the number of kisses from three to four and then to five and then to six and then to a million and then to… get the picture? Since his legs were starting to get sore RJ went over to his chair and flopped down into it. Absent-mindedly he began to scratch his wolf spirit's head.

"So… should I say something? Or is it too late?"

Rolling over for a belly rub it replied, _Your call. I'm just the canine that helps you take down the bad guys- not help you tell your soul mate that you 'like' her._

"Am I falling for Fran?" fretted RJ, rubbing his wolf spirit's belly. Understanding the question to be rhetorical the wolf spirit merely enjoyed the belly rub.


	15. Chapter 15: Beautiful

Greetings to Yellow Princess. Of course RJ/Fran fluff is cute- that's why I'm doing it! And hiya to talkstoangels77- see Alberto Fedrigotti's review for an explanation on the 'phrase' if you're talking about the Mercurian mango, the penguin in a hula skirt, and the Irish pineapple. Yeah, but Alberto- reviews prove that people are reading and caring enough about the story to review! That and they're fun to read.

Have any of you seen David de Lautour as himself? _**CUTE!**_ Just because I've never been on a date in my life (in my more fluffy epic- Billy/Kim- I occasionally upbraid myself for writing some fairly intense fluff when I've never been on a single date as previously mentioned) doesn't mean I'm immune to cute dudes. Especially ones cute enough to play Wolf Rangers. Seriously. Wolf Ranger actors are always hot. A pity there won't be one on next year's team.

Disclaimer: All I own is the plot bunny, the DVD of the Mighty Morphin movie, a sheet of MM stickers, a handful of PR action figures, a Red Power Ranger finger puppet, and a Pink Power Ranger glove- not Power Rangers themselves.

Fifteen

Beautiful: RJ realizes he's fallen in love with Fran

Fran ran a brush through her unruly brown hair one last time. RJ had asked her to go to the Ocean Bluff Business Organization Valentine's Day Dance with him and how was she supposed to refuse? Uh-oh. Was this a date? Scanning her reflection in the mirror, Fran took a deep breath. She looked fine. Besides, RJ probably asked her because there wasn't anyone else he felt comfortable with asking. He had never brought up the mistletoe mess… sometimes Fran wondered if that event had occurred in some parallel universe because of doubts that the said event had even occurred.

Outside she could hear a car horn. RJ, no doubt. Risking a final look in the mirror Fran headed down to the door. She came to an abrupt halt just outside the door.

If it wasn't for the fact that he was standing by a JKP Jeep, Fran wouldn't have recognized RJ. He was clean-shaven for the first time that Fran could remember, and his hair was slightly slicked back. The change made him look like an elf… a really cute elf. Furthermore, he was dressed formally in a V-neck violet sweater and black slacks. RJ was always cute, but now he was unbelievably cute. He probably hear her heart racing at the sight of him.

Wow. Just wow.

_As cute as Fran looks, the two of you are going to be mega late if you two keep gawking at each other!_ the wolf spirit noted. RJ was too busy doing the said gawking to pay much attention. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she took a simple pink dress with short puffed sleeves that came down to her knees. Following the lines of her legs, RJ found out she was wearing straw sandals. Awkwardly he took a step forward.

"You look really great, Fran."

"I do?" Fran flushed with pleasure.

"Well, you always look great but tonight… wow. Wow."

Fran had to bite down hard on her lower lip to keep from starting on a nervous ramble. With a smile RJ opened the passenger side door.

"Come on. Let's go to the OBBO Valentine's Day Dance."

Fran nodded, still untrusting that she could keep from rambling if she opened her mouth. And she sensed that somewhere in that hypotheotical ramble would be three little potent words that would either destroy her bond with RJ or take it to the next level. And Fran wasn't sure enough of the odds to risk it.

_He so digs you. Trust me, you could ask him for the moon tonight and he'd try to get it for you_, her inner voice observed. Go ahead. Try.

No.

_Yes._

No.

_Yes!_

No!

_**Yes!**_

NO!

With a huff her inner voice retreated for the time being.

Trying his best to keep his emotions under control RJ drove the Jeep along the streets. Rin Shi. It was now official. He found Fran beautiful inside and out. He was in love with her. But with Dai Shi readying himself for an escape, RJ himself soon becoming a mentor, and the simple fact that Fran probably only saw him as an older brother (why else would she not bring up the mistletoe incident?) RJ knew that trying to start up a romantic relationship with Fran would be a bad idea. Although coming to this conclusion on Valentine's Day really stank.


	16. Chapter 16: Denial

I'll wait for a few more reviews prior to commenting but yes this is a continuation of Chapter Fifteen. Saban owns the Power Rangers, not me. I'm not sure who owns LOTR since Tolkien died nearly 40 years ago but I know whoever it is isn't me. Did I say that right? Anyway… fluff-ish time!

Sixteen

Denial: Fran tries to fight her love for RJ

The OBBO Valentine's Day dinner had been delicious… all the restaurants in the city had contributed something to the buffet. RJ had made a giant pepperoni, pineapple, and cheese stromboli… even before he pointed it out to her Fran figured that it was his. But now came the problematic part. The OBBO Valentine's Day dance. Fran knew that RJ could dance… but she had never danced outside of her bedroom before. Fran was totally stressing out as the crowd moved towards the ballroom.

_You'll be fine!_

_You're not the one dancing,_ Fran retorted.

_I'm part of you, so technically yes I am dancing!_

Still in shock over his earlier epiphany that he was in love with Fran RJ hugged her across the shoulders.

"Stop looking so worried, Fran. It's just a dance."

"It's my FIRST dance," Fran whispered back as they entered the ballroom. Red and pink decorations were everywhere, and a band was warming up on the stage up front. Taking Fran's hand RJ led her out to dance where already a few couples were dancing. Putting his free hand on Fran's hip RJ assured her, "Just follow my lead and you'll do fine."

And, surprisingly, she was. It was hard to worry when she was this close to RJ, close enough to take in his scent and body heat. Fran could feel any final defenses on her heart slipping away. Even though she knew she should be stressing out over the fact that she was now completely falling in love with RJ all she could do for now was enjoy the sensation.

Twirling her, RJ might have deliberately allowed Fran to bump up against him. But why not? A wolf in love was permitted to make those types of 'mistakes'. Maybe keeping Fran closer to him than was entirely necessary RJ kept dancing with her.

When the band paused for an interlude about an hour later Fran stepped back. If she kept in such close contact with RJ for much longer she might do something rash.

"I think I'll go get some punch. Do you want any, RJ?"

"No thanks but do you want me to get it for you? Or come with you?" he questioned as they moved off the dance floor. Fran looked RJ up and down. Yep, definitely looked like a hot elf warrior. Possibly hotter than Legolas… and that was saying something.

"I'm sure I'll be able to find you again, RJ. You're hard to miss."

And with that Fran darted off. RJ looked after her, too befuddled even to take advantage of the opportunity to observe Fran's butt.

_Hard to miss? What does that mean? I'm sure I checked that neither my shirt nor my pants had ANY stains on them. I picked out some decent-looking clothes… or so I thought._

_Me too._ His wolf spirit scratched his ear. _Maybe it's a girl thing._

_Yeah…_

Fran was filling her cup of fruit punch when the woman next to her said "Hello."

"Oh, hi."

"You're here with RJ, right?"  
"Uh-huh," Fran nodded, taking a closer look at her neighbor. The leggy, older blonde had a sophisticated air and wore a honey orange sleeveless gown.

"He's a cousin of a friend of my husband," she explained. Now Fran saw her gold wedding band and felt an inexplicable surge of relief.

"I'm not sure I followed all of that…"

The woman half-smiled as Fran finished filling her cup.

"Yes… all the connections my husbands and his friends confuse me sometimes too. Oh, right. I'm Emily Scott."

"Fran," she bobbed her head awkwardly.

"Nice to meet you. RJ never has shown even a remote interest in a girl before… but Jason always did assure me that was normal for a Wolf."

Fran was so busy fighting down the elation that RJ had apparently never had even a crush that she almost missed the implication and the latter half of the sentence.

"Oh, RJ and I are just friends," she blushed. And her inner voice finished promptly, _Although you wish you were more!_

Ignoring it Fran continued, "But what did you call RJ? A wolf?"

He seemed more like a puppy to Fran usually. But tonight especially she could believe that he was a wolf. Emily seemed almost embarrassed.

"Oh, sorry… he must not have… oh, well, it's kind of like a zodiac thing where a lot of us have spirit animals. It's something that my husband and his earliest few friends- among them RJ's cousin- more or less came up with."

Now Fran remembered how this conservation started.

"RJ never told me that he had a cousin."

"Mm… he knows that Billy likes to keep a low profile. Although there was a huge to-do when he and Kimberly finally realized that they were soul mates like me and Jason."

Fran tried to process everything fairly rapidly. The first 'he' must be RJ; Billy must be RJ's cousin; the second 'he' probably referred to Billy; Kimberly apparently was Billy's girlfriend; and Jason must be Emily's husband. Wait. Billy and Kimberly?

"RJ's cousin is Billy Cranston?" Fran yelped. "But RJ's last name is Finn…"

"Their mothers were sisters," Emily explained patiently.

"Oh."

_I feel stupid,_ her inner voice sighed.

_ For once we agree._

Looking over to a relatively handsome black-haired man in a red long-sleeved shirt and dull gold pants Emily excused herself.

"It was nice talking to you, Fran. But I think Jason is getting lonely. Have a great night… and don't lose hope. Wolves can be so aggravatingly shy at times. Luckily for me Jason isn't one."

Highly confused, Fran finally got around to sipping her fruit punch. Was it really so obvious that she had… ah… romantic feelings towards RJ?

_I don't think so._ Her inner voice was thoughtful. _I think Emily's assessment was based off mostly that RJ did bring you here and that someone who wanted to be 'just' friends with someone else wouldn't have agreed to go to a Valentine's Day dance with that person._

As Fran gulped down the last of her fruit punch, the band started to warm up again. Spotting RJ waiting hopefully, his hands tucked into his pockets in an obvious maneuver to look casual, Fran was tempted to pull a Cinderella even though it was only a little past a quarter after ten.

_We are NOT cowards._

_Right_, agreed her inner voice, making Fran realize with a jolt she had been the one to make the 'not cowards' comment. So, with a deep breath, she started back over to RJ. Why, oh why, had she been stupid enough to fall in love with her best friend? Aagh.


	17. Chapter 17: Another Step

Again: I do not own the Power Rangers. Saban does.

Although feel free to check out my other fluff epic… it's Billy and Kim. In other words… another mega-cute wolf with a spunky brunette. History repeats itself, dude. Heck, look at Merrick and Princess Shayla. You guys thought that the Dom/Fran twist was aggravating? That was _**nothing**_ compared to Merrick and Princess Shayla in Wild Force. I got hooked during MF but I know everything (or close to everything) on PR now. Nonetheless I think they'll be my 3rd fluff epic. Or maybe Maddick (Nick/Madison of MF… at least it was semi-promised that those 2 would get together once Nick returned to Briarwood… grr). Or Dillon & Summer. Finally- a happy ending for a Wolf. Canon Dillon needs to give some advice to canon Merrick, Nick, & RJ. Or canon Summer to canon Princess Shayla, Madison, & Fran. See? This is why I like Bridge and Fran. I ramble like them so often. Ooh… Bridge/Z fluff!

Seventeen

Another Step: one slow day RJ gives Fran a dance lesson

Roughly a month had passed since the Valentine's Day dance. To their relief, RJ and Fran had endured it without exposing their altered emotions towards each other. It was a dull, drizzling day… which meant little business for RJ. For now Fran was the only person in the JKP. Doodling on a piece of paper by the cash register RJ commented, "Hey, Fran? Remember how you said at the dance that it was your first?"

"Uh-huh," went Fran, only a quarter listening since she was reading a Agatha Christie mystery.

"Well… don't you remember that one time when you overslept and we danced before you left?"

Of course Fran remembered. But it had seemed so much like a dream… and besides her hormones could tolerate RJ's presence for longer before going all hyper back then. These days her heart picked up speed at the mere thought of RJ. And any physical contact made her heart skip a beat.

"Yeah, well," she sighed, finishing the chapter. "I just followed your lead both times. I don't know if that counts as dancing."

Looking around at the empty area RJ made to a decision. Hopping over the counter he decided, "Then I'll give you a real dance lesson."

"I don't know," Fran fretted. RJ just looked imploringly at her.

"Please?"

When RJ turned those big puppy eyes on her Fran was helpless to refuse. That was how he was now giving her driving lessons every Sunday afternoon. So she rose from her stool and brushed off the front of her magenta shirt.

"Let's get it over with."

"We'll start with an easy waltz," RJ promised, taking her by the hand. Over the next hour RJ taught Fran how to waltz, tango, and some random dance moves. There was a lot of laughter involved. And both were stubbornly oblivious to the sparks that could nearly be seen wherever they touched. Over by the counter RJ's wolf spirit and Fran's inner voice convened.

_We need to get drastic._

_How? Fran doesn't even realize what you are._

_Something drastic would make her realize._

_It's possible._ RJ's wolf spirit scratched behind its ear. _Humans can be so dense!_

_That's why they need us._

_So why do _we_ put up with _them_?  
They're cute and cuddly and contrary to what they think they're _our_ pets._

The wolf spirit snorted in amusement. Fran's inner voice shifted uneasily.

_I wish I had a real form… like you do._

_I didn't always_, the wolf spirit consoled her. _RJ had to find me, like Fran has found you. Then he needed to figure what I was._

_But Fran doesn't even realize…_

_Humans are so dense at times_, the wolf spirit repeated wearily. _Look at them!_

Fran's inner voice watched Fran and RJ dancing to the radio, smiling and laughing.

_It's so obvious._

_I know, and you know. But humans often can't find what's under their very noses._

_We should help them somehow._

_How?_

_I have an idea_, Fran's inner voice informed its companion smugly.


	18. Chapter 18: Gift

I do _NOT_ own the Power Rangers or Lord of the Rings. 'Nuff said… for now.

Eighteen

Wish: it's Fran's birthday

"Happy birthday to yooooouuuu!" sang RJ off-key as he exited the kitchen, holding a platter that had a purple and pink iced cake on it. Fran wiggled in her seat out of excitement. It was after-hours at JKP and the two of them were celebrating her birthday since RJ had gotten his taxes in the day before the deadline, which had been yesterday. It was her nineteenth one too. She had survived her first year of adulthood… only sixty some left to get through. If she was lucky.

"Yeah!" Fran cheered as RJ placed the cake on the platter. Pointing to one half of the cake Fran told him, "That's my half. You can have the other half."

"Fran, we can't eat an entire cake in one sitting."

"Sure we can!" Fran beamed. But RJ cut two normal-sized pieces of cake. As he had promised, it was thick gooey chocolate inside. As they ate Fran commented, "RJ, is it just me or has there been a… wariness to the city lately? As if it's expecting something big to happen."

"I don't know," RJ fibbed. He knew exactly what was happening. Last week, extra early in the morning his cousin had dropped **them** off. Both he and his wolf spirit were battening down the hatches in preparation for the psychological and physical storm that was coming their way. The only problem was that it was in Fran's way too.

Watching Fran scrape icing off her plate with her fork RJ fretted that something might happen to Fran. So help him; allies, even ones in the dark like Fran, had a bad habit of getting caught in the crossfire. If that did happen, RJ would take on Dai Shi himself. Although that could expose just how deeply he felt for her. But RJ didn't care. If anyone- Dai Shi related or not- ever messed with Fran they would face the wrath of a Pai Zhua master. But back to the future team of Pai Zhua related Rangers. Billy hadn't finished the additional two morphers, and RJ was unsure if he would ever use the morpher Billy was making for him. He had learned a lot from Billy about the earlier Rangers… he doubted he could reach their standard.

Fran poked him in the shoulder. By now they had finished their cake slices.

"What are you thinking about?"

RJ did his best to perk up. "Oh, about when I should give you your birthday present."

"Now?" Fran beamed. None of her previous birthdays had been this much fun. Of course, she hadn't had a real friend before… even if she wanted RJ to be more than a friend.

"Now sounds good," agreed RJ, slipping back into the kitchen. Hardly a minute later he brought out a huge tiered pink and tan iced cake topped by nineteen lit lavender candles. Fran went into sugar shock just looking at it.

"I also got you a _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy," he told her, "but this is the piece de resistance!"

Fran was still in anticipated sugar shock.

Pointing at the candles RJ told her, "Make a wish."

Standing up, Fran went on tip-toe to reach the top tier of the cake where the nineteen candles were. Closing her eyes she inhaled deeply, made her wish, and exhaled hard. The closely bunched candles all flickered out.

As RJ removed the candles from the cake Fran wondered if her wish would ever really come true. She doubted it, but that was what wishes were for.


	19. Chapter 19: Album

Ai ai ai! Not only do I not own the Power Rangers, it's the second to last one-shot before Lily, Theo, & Casey crash the fluff! Feel free to flip. 

Alliteration is awesome! Wait… it's called something else when it's not vowels… and I had wanted this to be a short author's note. Way too much Fran in me. Then again, that's not exactly a BAD thing, now is it? Also there's a reference to yet another fantasy series not owned by me.

Nineteen

Album: RJ & Fran have an impromptu dance party

It was before opening time at the JKP on the first of May. Fran was at the counter, reading as usual, while RJ did a final wiping of the counter while moving to the radio music. Peering over the top of her book, Fran guiltily snuck a look at RJ's butt. Her inner voice had been awfully quiet lately; Fran supposed she should take this as a sign that she wasn't going crazy after all but she actually kind of missed it.

_Did Fran just look at my butt?_ RJ asked his wolf spirit. Glancing over to the brunette, she seemed to be absorbed in her book. So RJ decided he had indulged in some wishful thinking.

Then a favorite song of both RJ and Fran came on the radio. RJ looked over hopefully at Fran. She just smiled and closed her book, lying it down on the counter.

The two danced in the central area of JKP, not doing any particular dance but simply moving to the beat. Next came another favorite song of theirs so they kept dancing, and then a third. Then it cut to commercial. With relief RJ and Fran sat down on the barstools at the counter. Brushing back some hair Fran fought to steady her breathing and heartbeat. RJ did the same. Both convinced themselves that the increases were due solely to the physical extertation.

Wistfully RJ got to his feet.

"It's been getting fairly busy at the JKP; I probably should look into getting some employees some. I can afford a few with the new increased revenue."

Fran did not like the idea of employees. For starters, there'd be less time for RJ to spend with her.

_Ack, I'm jealous of people who don't even exist!_

_ That's common when you're in love._

_ You're back! Where have you been? I was worried!_

_ For me or for the state of your sanity?_

_ Both._

_ At least you're honest._

_ Look, I've been thinking_, Fran informed her inner voice as RJ entered the kitchen to prepare some pizza dough_. I can't always be calling you 'you'._

_ No?_

_ For starters, are you a boy or a girl?_

Her inner voice had to think about that one. Fran nearly read a whole chapter before it replied.

_Girl._

_ All right then. Your name is Kazul._

_ You got that from your book!_

_ So?_

_Fine. A dragon name… the King of Dragons (even if she's a she). Not shabby._

_ Nice to meet you, Kazul._

_Hiya, Fran_, her inner voice- oops, Kazul- replied wryly.


	20. Chapter 20: What If?

I'm really touched, Jokesterjan. Thanks for reading. And Rachel, at the very least you must read 'Scars'. No obvious fluff, I promise. Just pure hilarity. Right, reviewers?

Earlier reviews: YellowPrincess, David de Lautour was on an episode of NCIS (basically the most amazing show & #1 in the nation) this past season. It was "Jet Lag"; admittedly he was a bad guy & at the end tried to run over McGee but Gibbs pushed him out of the way so he got more or less run over causing him to have an arm in a sling for a few episodes afterward. Gibbs is NCIS's version of mentor & Red Ranger combined to use a PR metaphor. So, eep. Still- "RJ" looked cute. And thanks to talkstoangels77 for reviewing. Oh, I don't own NCIS either. Or NCIS: LA.

I'm one-third done already. Crazy. Starting with the next one-shot RJ & Fran will have to squeeze in demi-fluff whenever the trio of Pai Zhua cubs cum Power Rangers aren't around. Poor guys.

**Twenty**

**What if…?: how RJ came up with the Mount Kilimanjaro pizza idea**

It was the summer solstice; the day traditionally set aside for testing in the Order of the Claw. Today was the day Master Mao would choose the new guardians, the most important guardians in the history of Pai Zhua. Then soon afterwards Dai Shi would escape as a result and the battle for the world would resume. With him, Robert James Finn, as the mentor to the world's heroes! And RJ was supposed to spend this violet letter day making and selling pizzas as if nothing was happening? There was something faulty with this picture.

Even Fran and Kazul had noticed RJ's fidgety mood, distracting them from the nonfiction book they had gotten yesterday.

_What is wrong with him?_ Fran fretted, poking over the top of her book. Kazul shrugged, trying to hide her concern. _Maybe it's a full moon._

_No, the full moon was a few days ago,_ Fran refuted. _That can't be it._

_Hm… maybe he ate too much pizza last night._

_ RJ's motto is that you can never have enough pizza._

_ There's a first time for everything._

_ True._

_ Such as you telling RJ that you love him._

Half-reading her book Fran absently replied, _Uh-huh._

_ YES!_

_ Wait, no! I am not going to tell RJ that-_

Kazul cut her off, saying, _It would get RJ's mind off whatever is eating him up._

_ But at what cost?_

_ You two becoming a couple?_

_ Hah ha._

RJ had been doing breathing exercises all morning, but his veins were full of power, ready to break out at the first hint of action. With a shudder, RJ fought back the impulse to howl, to call the cubs that weren't quite his to him, to teach them and ready them for battle. To join them in battle.

Not feeling any such restraint his wolf spirit howled headily. _Dai Shi, beware! The wolf is on the hunt!_

_ Stop that,_ RJ ordered it. _I can't focus as it is!  
You're trying to focus on all the wrong things- boring things._

_ You never complained before._

_ We were never on the brink of war with Dai Shi before. And don't even ask for me to stop making sense. This is too important for me _not_ to make sense._

RJ growled under his breath. But in preparation for battle, not in aggravation at his wolf spirit.

But the growl had been loud enough for Fran to hear, loud enough for it to run a dangerous shiver down her back and through her blood. RJ **really** was in a knot over something. Using her thumb as a bookmark Fran slipped off her stool and walked over to the cash register where RJ was standing. Thankfully it was before the lunch crowd, otherwise there might be issues.

"RJ, what's wrong?"

Fran's scent was putting RJ's senses on overload- which was the last place they needed to be right now. She cocked her head at him, waiting.

RJ slowly forced himself to act normal- well, normal for him anyway.

"Just edgy. Maybe there's a storm brewing or something. Or a nearby volcano is going to erupt."

Fran giggled and held up her book so RJ could see the cover.

"That's funny; I'm reading a book on volcanoes right now!"

"Huh. Anything good?"

"Oh, there's a chapter per volcano. Mount Saint Helens, Crackatoa, Mount Kilimanjaro, Vesuvius, Mount Fuji…"

"Wow," RJ commented, already relaxing. For once Fran's presence was calming him down rather than revving him up. It might be simply that he couldn't get any more revved up, but RJ doubted it. Then he thought of something that could keep him busy until his cubs showed up.

"Hey, Fran?"

"Yep?" Fran smiled back. RJ was already mellowing back to normal, and Fran felt smug about causing his shift in mood.

"You know those paper mache volcanoes that middle-school students always make for science projects?"

"Yes…"

"What if I made a volcanic pizza!" RJ beamed, already envisioning it. "A Mount Kilimanjaro pizza! A pizza that could erupt molten cheese! Cheddar, I suppose."

Fran raised her eyebrows, unable to hide her amusement.

"Whatever works, RJ."

"That's just it! I don't know what'll work- not yet anyway! Thanks, Fran."

When RJ grabbed a piece of scrap paper and started to sketch out a recipe for his new radical experiment Fran went back to her seat to finish reading. Giving Fran an appraising look, RJ had to admit she was becoming more and more special to him each passing day. You really couldn't judge a book by its cover. Hmm… maybe he should teach his cubs that. But how? RJ would figure that out later. For now- back to the pizza.


	21. Chapter 21: Friends

Note to all Fran fans: on Youtube is a video called "Fran the Frantastic". But before you look it up, let's check out Fran's reaction to the events in "Welcome to the Jungle II" as the second third of this fluff epic begins. All I own is the plot bunny, mind, not PR or Youtube or the video or the song featured in the video. I also don't own the name Kazul. 'Kazul' belongs to Patricia Wrede while PR belongs to Haim Saban,

Final note: I am pathetic. Not a single date ever & I'm plotting to become the fluff queen.

**Twenty-one**

**Friends: RJ and Fran discuss some details that need worked out**

Late one afternoon found Fran waiting out by the back door of the JKP. While tidying up the house that afternoon she had realized something and need to confront RJ about it. Note the 'needed'. Fran's stomach was in turmoil over what could happen. She _wanted_ to be anywhere else but _needed_ to be here.

Need. She needed RJ, period, the end. She also wanted him. She also loved him.

Fran leaned against the cool bricks of JKP's back wall, raising her head to the violet sky above. She sighed, "I'm doomed."

_ Fated. There's a difference._

"Doomed, fated," Fran muttered to Kazul. "It's all the same to me since RJ doesn't return my feelings."

_I wouldn't be so sure_, Kazul sniffed.

At last RJ came out the back door, still dressed in his uniform, hauling a garbage bag. Distracted, he didn't see her as he made his way to the dumpster and tossed in the bag. Keeping her voice light Fran commented, "I thought that was what employees are for!"

Turning to her, RJ smiled. Just seeing Fran re-energized him. And after the long day he had had, he needed her all the more.

Wait. He **needed** Fran?

_Duh_, sniffed his wolf spirit. Actually, double duh.

An extra bounce in his step RJ walked over to Fran. Sticking his hands in the pockets of his orange mini-apron he asked, "You okay, Fran?"

Fran looked up at RJ. "Not really."

RJ freaked. The mantis monster had hurt Fran more than he had supposed? Good thing Casey had figured out how to morph and save Fran… otherwise he would have been out there himself if another thirty seconds had elapsed.

"The monster hurt you?"

"What? No?" Fran shook her head hastily. "The Red Ranger saved me. Sure, my arm is a little sore but that's it."

Gently RJ reached and touched her left arm, the one closer to him. Very tenderly he started to massage it.

"Better?"

"Uh-huh," Fran nodded dreamily. RJ's touch was warming and melting her. Then she remembered why she was here. The look in RJ's eyes after she had said 'not really' and the growl in his voice when he had questioned if the monster had hurt her made Fran know she was being sillier than usual but nonetheless she needed to know.

"To Lily, Leo, and Casey- why did you call me 'best customer'?"

RJ had to smile. Theo would not be happy to hear that misstep.

"It's Lily, **Theo**, and Casey. But two and a half out of three isn't bad."

"Oh," Fran squeaked, blushing bright. She had known that. But RJ's soothing caresses of her arm were making her brain malfunction more than usual.

RJ cocked his head at her. "Besides, you are the JKP's best customer."

Fran felt wounded, and jerked her arm out of RJ's hand even if it hurt on so many levels.

"But I thought we were friends too."

RJ could see the brimming tears in Fran's eyes. Ashamed of causing them he leaned in and gently kissed them away.

Here, in the violet twilight and shadows, Fran felt safe as RJ wrapped her up in his arms. She even felt loved. But was it the kind of love she needed and wanted from RJ?

Closing her close, RJ murmured, "Oh, we're friends, Fran. But that can't be everything we are. Friends don't do this."

And RJ kissed her. Fran's heart _flew_. Giddily she returned the kiss, happy that it fully occupied her mouth. Otherwise she would have started on a ramble that would repeatedly include three little words that would cause an explosion larger than RJ's Mount Kilimanjaro pizza experiment this morning.

As they kept kissing, Fran found that her hands were unbuttoning all the buttons on RJ's white chef's shirt. Fran tried to catch her breath and organize her extra-chaotic thoughts but RJ didn't seem to want to help her in that regard- especially as he put his hands on her hips to draw her closer to him. So Fran just kept unbuttoning the shirt.

When all the buttons were undone Fran drew back. RJ whimpered. Fran was more than a friend- she was his mate. And wolves mated for life. But what was Fran?

Gently she placed a finger on his lips when he tried to move in.

"Not yet," she scolded him gently, and then she removed his outer chef's shirt, leaving on his white under shirt. She tied the shirt around her waist. Brushing back her hair, she smiled coyly up at RJ.

"Now where were we?"

His eyes wide with stunned hope, RJ instigated their fifth kiss. With a blissful sigh Fran started to explore the muscled, totally hot chest barely concealed by the undershirt. Despite the deepening violet light they kept their eyes closed to enhance their other four senses .

RJ limited his skimming to Fran's lower torso and her back; Fran had no such limits. She explored his torso, what she could reach of his back, his neck, his arms, his hands… anything she could reach on his upper body.

They gained fresh air in short bursts, so that it felt like one never ending kiss rather than a constellation of long kisses. The mood shifted from playful to passionate, from innocent to intense, from chaste to possessive in instants. In RJ's thrall, Fran reached up and explored his mussy brown hair, then slid her hands down to feel his sandpaper rough cheeks. Deepening the kiss, RJ reached up his hands to brush against Fran's softly warm cheeks before his fingers delved into Fran's wavy brown hair.

They shifted even closer together, fitting together perfectly. Her arms wrapped around RJ's neck Fran decided that she and RJ needed to 'confront' each other more often.

Regretfully RJ pulled back at last.

"The trio will be coming back from shopping fairly soon. They've been gone a while now."

Fran just nodded, amazed by her ability to remain upright. Then again, she was still being held up by RJ. Resting his forehead on hers, RJ whispered heatedly, "A pity too."

Fran's eyes widened. She rambled, "I really like you- well, more than like- but that's not overly important right now. What's overly important right now is that I, uh, I, um, I can't barely stop from kissing you 'cause you are the best kisser RJ. Actually I can't really say that since you're the only guy I've ever kissed but you're the only guy I've ever wanted to kiss so don't worry about THAT. Er… where was I? Oh, right, well, I and you kissing is like wow and something out of a romance novel but right now I'm not sure if I'm anywhere near ready to try out second base, let alone third base or a home run. I know first base pretty well by now thanks to you and I have an idea what second base is and home run I have had the birds and the bees talk but I've always wanted to know- what is third base? It's between second base and home run, I know, but what does it entail? And why is it a sports metaphor? I bet a sports lover and not a girl lover came up with that. We should come up with a new metaphor- one that involves food because we both love food. Speaking of that-"

Thankfully RJ told Fran right then, "Breathe, Fran."

Fran breathed, more deeply than she really needed to. But she had been about to tell RJ that she loved him. Eep.

For a minute they stood close together in the violet darkness, holding hands. Then Fran spotted something dark on the inside of RJ's wrist. Curious, she raised up his hand to get a closer look. Her eyebrows went up.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you, RJ?"

It was a lightening-bolt tattoo. RJ smiled sheepishly.

Fran ran her thumb over it, feeling a surge of power. The symbol looked familiar, but Fran couldn't yet place it. But that it was some kind of symbol Fran had no doubt.

"What is it?"

"A lightening bolt?" RJ joked, a clump of brown hair falling across his forehead. Naturally Fran used her free hand to brush it away.

"RJ," she warned him.

"It's martial arts related," RJ admitted, shifting his weight. Fran realized that he didn't want to tell her about it. She looked away.

RJ grabbed her hands, suddenly afraid that she would leave and not come back."

"It just feels like bragging to talk about it," and he smiled hopefully. "You know how much I hate that."

Fran had to smile her agreement. RJ refused to enter any restaurant competition. He felt that his food and actions should speak for himself. Fran frowned pensively at him.

"That important, huh? You're that good at martial arts?"

"Well," RJ blushed; Fran could slight see that much in the now violet-black shadows. Extracting a hand from RJ's grip Fran mock-punched in the arm.

"The Power Rangers should recruit you then," Fran teased. "I mean, who'd be better to defend Ocean Bluff? I wonder where their headquarters is…"

As Fran continued to ramble RJ looked up at his loft, a rueful smile on his face. His cousin had been stressing that he should join his new cubs as a warrior and not just a mentor but RJ wasn't so sure.

Seriously he told Fran to breathe. Once she had caught her breath he requested simply, "Could you help me keep an eye on my new employees? I think I'll need help with them."

Fran couldn't know about the Ranger half of the trio, but that would make her help all the more valuable with the JKP half of the trio. Fran rubbed noses with him.

"All you need to do is ask, RJ, and I'll do what I can."

"Thank you, Fran," RJ smiled. There was no doubt now in his mind. Fran was his mate. No one other than his mate would he have made a request for help so easily to. But with Dai Shi back, could he risk trying for a happily ever after when the world's fate laid partially on his shoulders?

Waving good-bye, Fran called back, "See you tomorrow, RJ!"

RJ waved good-bye.

Meanwhile Kazul and RJ's wolf spirit exchanged pleased nods. Stage one of their plan was complete.

Once Fran was out of sight, RJ turned to go back inside. Then he paused, and laughed.

Fran still had his outer shirt.


	22. Chapter 22: Pride

All right, I don't own the Power Rangers. Saban does; everybody got that? Good. There's a Stargate reference; don't own that either.

Review credit time: talkstoangels77- remember the 1st episode of JF?; YellowPrincess- I concur that RJ & Fran are totally adorable; Donna8- thanks for reading & reviewing with so much joy; and welcome to greentaurus33.

**Twenty-two**

**Pride: Fran muses on her new job, new friends, and of course her new boss RJ**

First off the Rangers had a new group of baddies to deal with now- the Five Fingers of Poison she thought- as well as that chameleon villainess. Fran shook her head, remembering the occasions when she and RJ had discussed the Power Rangers and now there was a team right in Ocean Bluff. Life really was stranger than fiction.

She had settled into a new pattern of being an employee of the JKP rather than just a patron in the past fortnight. Sure there was less time for reading, but Fran found she didn't mind. Her work at the JKP was so much fun she was surprised that she was being paid to do it.

And plus she now had three new friends!

Lily was great; it was nice to have another girl around. Someone to giggle over Daniel Jackson with and to help explain some of the more girly aspects of being, well, a girl. Full of energy, Lily always seemed upbeat and sunny. She was a hit out front as she treated everyone like a friend.

On the opposite hand there was Theo. He always seemed kind of blue to Fran, not to mention a tad too serious. He rarely cracked a smile; when he did it was usually because of some ironic remark he had made or something he had done well by his absurdly high standards. He liked Fran the least of the trio; actually Theo didn't seem to like much of anyone except for Lily. That made Fran feel a little better.

The final member of the trio was Casey. Although all three were eighteen, Casey seemed so much younger than the other two. But that just meant he and Fran had a lot in common. Although Casey could be a spitfire if someone rubbed him the wrong way or hurt one of his friends. The first time Melissa had called Theo 'shortie' Casey had given her a death glare that made Lily's later prank of piping hot salsa instead of standard sauce on her slice of pizza almost unneeded. But it was one for all and all for one at JKP. Casey enjoyed chess as much as Fran did… RJ liked it but had gotten tired of winning every game against Fran.

Thinking about RJ Fran sighed dreamily.

RJ was RJ. He had never asked for his shirt back so Fran just had it hanging in her closet. Even after she washed it the shirt still managed to smell like RJ. They hadn't kissed since the trio's arrival and that was the only downside to their appearance. Whenever it looked like they might work up the courage to kiss or at least talk about kissing one of them always seemed to walk in on them. Sigh. But in those brief moments when they were alone she and RJ made the most of them- brief touches on the hands or shoulders; RJ would tug on her ponytail or one of her pigtails; she'd give him a quick peck on his scruffy cheek; and other slight but potent shows of affection. Fran had a sneaking feeling that RJ was holding back partially because of the fact she was now his employee. Ugh. However, the bulk of it was probably that he was adjusting to keeping an eye on the trio. Fran would uphold her promise ergo not just because it was a promise, not just because she loved RJ, not just because she was always fond of the trio, but because once the trio was truly settled in maybe she and RJ could have a long overdue talk.


	23. Chapter 23: Dream

Hi. So, we're heading deeper into the 'canon' Jungle Fury season. There'll be a few one-shots focused on Fran stressing out over what the others are hiding and RJ stressing out over hiding the secret from Fran; later there'll be a couple of fanfics on the whole werewolf deal. 

And Haim Saban owns the Power Rangers while Patricia Wrede owns the term 'Kazul' I presume.

**23: Dream**

Fran woke up and stretched, a wide grin on her face. Last night's dream had been the best so far. Admittedly they were relatively tame dreams- rarely did even cheek-kisses come into play, mostly they were hand-holding and maybe some snuggling at times. They entailed beachside strolls, stargazing on the JKP's roof, cooking in the JKP's kitchen, watching TV in the loft, picnics in the park, and all the other small but wonderful moments that were sprinkled throughout a relationship. As she got dressed for the day Fran didn't even recall how the Yellow Ranger had gained a new weapon somehow recently. All that mattered was the feeling she had felt while in RJ's arms during her dream.

RJ was still half-asleep in his bed tucked away deep in his loft under a royal violet blanket which continually shed small fuzzy things that thankfully matched his royal violet sheets. He felt so content, remembering his dream. Holding his mate in his arms, safe and sound, was something all Wolves keenly needed. But with having to oversee his cubs as they saved the world meant that RJ couldn't be honest with Fran about his feelings towards her. Gak. Stupid sense of honor. But while his cubs started their morning routines RJ could stay in bed, reliving every moment of his dream.

Later, while RJ and Fran pretended to only have platonic feelings towards one another Kazul and RJ's wolf spirit called another council of love in a corner of the JKP's kitchen.

_Your plan isn't working,_ grumbled RJ's wolf spirit. Kazul shifted crossly.

_ Phase One is going perfectly, thank-you-very-much._

_ There are __**phases**__!_

_Yes_, sniffed Kazul. _You can't expect a baby bird to fly loop-de-loops the first time. Or a wolf cub to successfully defend him or herself in their first battle. We need to ease our pets into love. That's the sole problem with the whole one mate thing with Wolves. They aren't used to being in love or having any feelings remotely like it, so they have no idea how to deal with it._

RJ's wolf spirit exhaled, knowing Kazul to be right but unwilling to admit it_. RJ has it in his head he's delaying and ignoring his feelings due to the whole Dai Shi mess._

_How is that going, by the way?_ Kazul asked curiously. _Fran knows naught, so I know naught._

RJ's wolf spirit wagged its tail_. Decently. The cubs are growing up well. I bet by before Midwinter Dai Shi will be defeated._

Kazul eyed the contented wolf spirit skeptically. _Considering how it's about a moon cycle until Lammas the cubs better have defeated Dai Shi by Midwinter._

RJ's wolf spirit just sniffed and changed the subject. _So how will we know when Phase One is complete?_

_It nearly is already_, Kazul replied_. RJ and Fran's subconsciouses need to accept, even anticipate, the dream-link we created. Next we completely dissolve the connection._

_ You lost me._

Kazul rolled her eyes. _If they no longer can obtain the contented feelings in dreams, my Fran and your RJ will be compelled to attempt to act on them in reality._

RJ's wolf spirit scratched its ear with a hind leg.

_ So basically, Kazul, your plan is to addict our pets to feelings of reciprocated love via dreams, force them into withdrawal, and leaving them to try another, actual venue to obtain that warm and fuzzy feeling._

_ More or less._

_Not bad. So Phase Two is withdrawal… is there a Phase Three?_

_ Yes. Subtly nudging RJ and Fran into acknowledging their feelings to one another._

_ We make a good team_, RJ's wolf spirit observed.

_ So RJ and Fran. Must be a user-spirit animal deal._

_Mm_, agreed RJ's wolf spirit. _Want me to tell you how the cubs' training is going?_

_ I'd like that._

Meanwhile, Theo had noticed Casey staring oddly at a corner of the kitchen, no longer making pizza dough. RJ and Fran were out front handling the customers; Casey had been assigned to make pizza dough; Lily was in charge of making the pizzas; and Theo was cooking the pizzas and ensuring they made it out front unharmed. Resettling his red JKP cap on his head Theo went over to his Red Ranger.

"Casey, we're supposed to be working."

"Uh… Theo? Do you see what I see?" Casey asked, still eying the corner. Theo studied the corner. "I'm not seeing anything out of the ordinary."

"Huh. Because it looks like to me that RJ's wolf spirit is having a discussion with a pink bird-like blob."

Theo double-checked the corner. Empty.

"Maybe you've been making pizza dough too long."

Casey tore his eyes away from the corner to look at the Blue Ranger.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Too much flour up your nose," Theo reasoned. Casey rolled his eyes, understanding the comment to be Theo-humor.

"Very funny. I'm telling you, RJ's wolf spirit and some pink blob are hanging out in the corner."

Theo just snorted and walked away to put in another pizza. As he pulled out a finished pizza he squinted at Casey's corner.

Now he could almost see a glowing violet outline next to a glowing pink outline. But probably all it was an overstimulated imagination due to Casey's comments.


	24. Chapter 24: Guilt

Hi! More male guilt tripping, yet I do not own the Power Rangers.

**24: Guilt**

Yesterday RJ and Fran had almost had their first real fight. Even as he tried to meditate RJ was tormented by Fran's hurt face. His secret-keeping was meant to protect her from harm, not cause her harm. Yet him maintaining the truth of the Rangers hidden from her was damaging their relationship even as they drew closer in his dreams.

Giving up, RJ rose to his feet. Even in the dreams he didn't dare tell Fran the truth. He did trust her; he simply wanted her safe from the dangers of being involved with the Power Rangers.

His wolf spirit huffed at him.

_Fran is involved, whether you like it or not._

RJ just huffed back.

_I don't want her in danger._

_By not knowing she is in danger!_

_Shut up. It does make sense._

_How exactly does it make sense?_

_It does! Fran would freak if-_

_She'd view it as a fairy tale or something_, his wolf spirit overrode RJ's objection. _I thought you knew Fran better than this!_

_I do! _RJ exclaimed, wounded.

_You're not acting like it._

_If anything happens to Fran, I'd never forgive myself._

That finally shut up his wolf spirit for a minute.

_I'm going to have to agree with you, there. But if you leave Fran in the dark for much longer, she might never forgive you._

Awash in guilt, RJ just collapsed into his chair. He remembered the day that Fran had gotten him this very chair.

_Life was so much simpler before Dai Shi escaped._

RJ's wolf spirit scratched its ear.

_A lot less intense though._

_But just as interesting, though._

_Yeah._

_I miss those days._

_Life can't stay the same forever_, RJ's wolf spirit philosophized.

_I want Fran to always be part of my life though_, RJ argued.

_Me too. Fran won't leave if you tell her the truth now or soon. But don't wait too long, otherwise she will leave- hurt that you didn't trust her._

_I trust Fran._

_Then prove it!_

RJ just exhaled. He felt guilty not telling Fran the truth, but he wanted to protect her from getting mixed up anymore with Dai Shi. As guilty as he felt not telling Fran the truth, RJ knew he would feel as more guilty if anything happened to Fran as a result of knowing the truth. His wolf spirit knew and understood this, but was arguing anyway.

At least he had the dreams.


	25. Chapter 25: Why?

Hi. Time for Fran's perspective on how odd RJ and the trio are acting.

Saban owns the Power Rangers, not I. Just one more one-shot that has Fran clueless on the Rangers' ids!

**25: Why?**

Fran was sulking. Of course, she didn't call it that. She called it 'musing on why the heck was RJ spending all his time now with Lily, Theo, and Casey'!

Maybe he didn't like her anymore. Maybe he had misinterpreted her ramble after their fourth and fifth kisses as 'not wanting to be in a relationship'. Gak! She should have clarified. Then maybe she would be RJ's girlfriend now! Ever since three days ago (when the Blue Ranger had gotten a pair of fans of all things as a new weapon; funny how Fran was starting to use Ranger activities to mark the passage of time nowadays) the dreams of her and RJ had stopped. Kazul seemed amused whenever Fran sighed over that, making her leery that her inner voice had been involved in not just the dreams' end but their beginning too. Gak.

Of course, the trio was more available to RJ. All four of them were living in the loft, after all. So they had more bonding opportunities than Fran.

But Fran had known RJ longer! Surely that had to count for something.

And it wasn't like Fran didn't like the trio herself. Okay, them running out on her all the time wasn't fun. Actually, two years ago Fran had to put up with a LOT of phone calls from her mother's brother about his employees always running out of him. Her uncle blamed the new guy, some motorcycler. Then all of a sudden he got very happy about them and all he would say was that it turned out they had a VERY good reason for always running out on him although he never elaborated on this very good reason. Perhaps it was the same with Lily, Theo, and Casey.

The constant running out Fran could put up with. The one change Fran couldn't put up with however was how RJ and the others would clam up whenever she entered the kitchen or the front. Like they were talking about something they couldn't in front of her. Fran had been talked about behind her back behind to recognize that aura, and that wasn't what she was getting from RJ and the trio. It was something else.

She sighed and licked her banana ice cream cone, which made her sad since RJ loved bananas. Why did RJ now prefer their company over hers? Did she do something wrong? Did RJ no longer want to be her friend? That would stink, as Fran and Kazul had recently come to the consensus that she was in love with RJ and probably always had been and probably always will be.

Part of Fran knew that she was being silly on that matter. RJ still made time for her, just not as much as he used to. And yes, he was helping the three adjust to life in Ocean Bluff and work at the JKP. But Fran knew she wasn't just being jealous. RJ was spending more time with the trio than with her, and they were all hiding something from her. Fran didn't even really care what they were hiding from her.

All she really wanted to know was… why?

Crikey. I made a rather interesting connection in this one-shot.


	26. Chapter 26: Secrets

Hi. Next time shall be what happened after Fran's line "Hello Rangers… Power Rangers".

I do not own Power Rangers otherwise things would be just a tad different. Just a tad!

Apparently Jason Smith (Casey) and Anna (Lily) are dating in real life. But for JF I shall still prefer Lily/Theo. And there are a lot of Jason's in PR. Jason David Frank (Tommy), Jason Narvy (Skull), Jason Chan (Cam), Jason Smith (Casey) and of course Austin St. John played "Jason". Weird.

**26: Secrets**

It was official. RJ, Lily, Theo, and Casey were keeping secrets from her, Fran.

She exhaled and flopped backwards onto her bed. Sure Fran talked (fine, rambled) a lot but she was capable of keeping a secret. After all, RJ still didn't know that she was in love with him.

And although he had reconciled with his father, RJ was stubbornly being vague on the details other than it was due to Casey. The pair was clearly becoming best friends; Fran would have been jealous but was saving that for when RJ got a girlfriend. Besides, Casey was doing his best to make sure he wasn't messing up her friendship with RJ since he was friends with both of them. Fran liked him all the more because of that.

But. But Casey knew the secret and looked sheepishly guilty whenever she tried to pry it out of him. It was the same with the other two. Lily just smiled it off and changed the subject deftly. Theo just gave her one of his patented 'looks' that could give even RJ pause.

Fran hated it. Why couldn't they just tell her whatever big-

Hang on. RJ was good at martial arts, maybe even a master of some type. Maybe the trio were his students. And they were part of some secret order of ninjas…

Okay, Fran was letting her imagination run away and taking herself with it. She covered her face with her pillow. Gak. Why oh why did everything have to get so complicated? Life was good before, when it was just her and RJ. Now everything was all mixed up.

_Can I come to the pity party?_ requested Kazul.

_Go away._

_ Nah._

_ Go away!_

_ Just ask RJ to tell you the truth, promising you'll keep it a secret._

_ And if that doesn't work?_

_ Cry, _was Kazul's worryingly thoughtful reply. _That always freaks out guys._

_ Very funny._

_ It's true!_ Kazul defended her answer.

Remembering how RJ had gotten out his sock puppets when she was blue, Fran had to admit he'd go drastic if she so much as sniffled. Then again, she would do the same if RJ got into a funk.

_Why did RJ and his dad fall out in the first place?_

_ I dunno._

Fran sighed.

"So…" Master Finn drew out the word. "Fran. Tell me about her."

"She's a friend and an employee," RJ responded warily. He and his dad were now making a pizza to eat for dinner. The three Rangers had gone out for a movie and a dinner to give the pair some alone time. Hastily he added, "Don't worry, she doesn't know about Pai Zhua or the Rangers."

"Maybe she should."

RJ stared at his dad, slack jawed.

"**What**?"

"She seems to have a good head on her shoulders- a bit in the clouds, but that just might be what you and the Rangers need. You especially," Master Finn frowned pensively. It was odd how easily he was picking up on RJ's vibes now that he knew how. Or rather accepting that his son that different vibes than him.

"I am the head-in-the-clouds master!" proclaimed RJ.

Master Finn gave his son a bemused look.

"You're a Wolf."

RJ glowered at his dad, unable to refute that statement.

"I don't want her to get hurt."

"By keeping secrets from her, you're probably hurting her worse than Dai Shi ever could," Master Finn stated. RJ just shook his head. He didn't want her involved with the Power Rangers; it was too dangerous. If anything ever happened to her RJ would never forgive himself. And besides, keeping Fran in the dark about the truth of the Power Rangers was easier than telling her that he loved her. Wryly Master Finn managed to have the second to last word on the topic.

"Just be careful; Fran might find out even against you guys' wishes and then where will you be?"

_He's right_, concurred RJ's wolf spirit. RJ rolled his eyes, outnumbered two to one.

I know, I know, blatant foreshadowing. Whatever. Just click on the line below!


	27. Chapter 27: Reaction

Here it is at last! 

My version of what happened after the end of "Ghost of a Chance II". And yes, I rewatched the ending to make sure I got everything right. I say 'my version' as I don't own Power Rangers. Or Men in Black. Or the name 'Kazul'.

**27: Reaction**

"Hello, Rangers… Power Rangers."

Lily, Theo, Casey, and RJ all stared up at her in shock for a single long minute- as they should. Then Theo (of course it was Theo) groaned and closed his eyes.

"Please tell me we have memory-wipers like the Men in Black do."

"FYI, Theo," Casey grinned. "Men in Black don't really exist."

"People say the same thing about Power Rangers. And we exist," Theo retorted. Fran squirmed slightly out of impressed excitement up from where she was sitting, unable to maintain her aloof demeanor any longer.

"You're the Power Rangers! Oh my gosh, no wonder you guys were always running out on me!"

That reminded Fran… her uncle had complained during 2006, and lived in Briarwood. But that was too much of a stretch, right?

"There's Fran," sighed all three newly found out Rangers. Looking more scruffy than usual RJ seemed about to speak when the phone rang. Going over to it, he looked at the caller id, sighed, and pressed the silence button. Casey frowned.

"Who was that?"

"Not a customer," RJ assured the Red Ranger. "That's my personal line."

Jumping down the stairs Fran began to barrage her co-workers and boss with a litany of questions that had Lily looking amused, Theo rubbing his temples, Casey beaming, and RJ cutting her off by saying, "Breathe, Fran!"

So Fran breathed. Meanwhile Casey took it upon himself to start answering her questions.

"Yes, we're the Power Rangers. No, we don't have super powers. Yes, we're connected to our Zords. Yes, RJ is our mentor. Yes, we know martial arts."

"Is that a requirement to be a Power Ranger?" Theo pondered. As the phone started to ring again RJ pressed the silence button again before smiling lopsidedly.

"No."

"Anyway… what were the other questions?" Casey inquired, taking off his red long-sleeved Ranger shirt to reveal a red T-shirt with a black symbol to the left of his heart. Fran recognized it as the same symbol as RJ's tattoo, and it was on the center chest of the three Rangers' uniforms. She shook her head, stunned by her own blindness.

"How could I have not seen it?"

Lily smiled wryly. "Why would you have seen it? I mean, why would you have suspected us of being the Power Rangers?"

"You could not see the pizza because of the pepperoni," RJ agreed. Theo looked at him askance.

"You **must** be worn out, RJ. I didn't even have to think in order to understand that metaphor."

RJ rolled his eyes. Then he rolled his eyes again when the phone started to ring for the third time because he had to go over and press the silence button yet again. Worn out, the Rangers' mentor proceeded to go sit in his chair.

_We really are tired if we couldn't recognize Fran's scent, huh? _ RJ asked his wolf spirit and was a little concerned when only silence occurred. How badly hurt was his wolf spirit?

"You okay, RJ?" frowned Casey. RJ rubbed his bicep- the one Dai Shi had attacked.

"Just roughed up is all. Dai Shi wanted to alleviate his boredom so I had no choice but to oblige him."

Theo raised his eyebrows, translating. "You battled Dai Shi? Without a morpher?"

The phone rang again, so RJ heaved to his feet and went over to the phone to push the silence button yet again. RJ sniffed. "You don't need a morpher to battle."

_It would have helped_, his wolf spirit informed him faintly, wounded and exhausted, as RJ hobbled back to his chair. _You should have used it. What happened to us is why Billy made you that morpher in the first place._

RJ remained silent, unsure. Zoning out, he let his students' words of explanation and apology to Fran to wash over him like a refreshing shower. His students were safe; Fran was safe; and he couldn't exactly forget that the world as a whole was safe although his world, to be honest, consisted mostly of the aforementioned quartet. Well, his students were the planets of his little solar system while Fran was its star. That's how it was with Wolves.

Fran was concerned even as her friends told her everything she wanted and needed to know about them being the Power Rangers. RJ didn't look too good. The Rangers didn't seem to notice; yes, they cared about him but she didn't think they fully realized that he wasn't infallible. Maybe it was a mentor-student complex.

The phone rang for the fifth time. RJ leaned back in his chair.

"Fran, I know you have lots more questions but could you please take the phone off the hook? He's just going to keep calling."

"Who?" frowned Theo as Fran walked over to do so. Lily put her arms akimbo.  
"Okay, this is a tell-all session, right?"

"Uh-oh," muttered the two male Rangers under their breath. Lily ignored them.

"So RJ… we didn't notice then, but now we know you better. And Fran too."

_Ack!_ chorused Fran and Kazul. Fran questioned her inner voice worriedly, _Do you think Lily suspects something is going on between me and RJ?_

_Well, isn't there?_ Kazul retorted but there was an undercurrent of concern in her voice. Fran just blew a mental raspberry at her inner voice.

"Fran tends to go all Zen when she fibs and you tend to ramble when you fib," Lily stated. Casey grinned, with Theo a heartbeat behind him. The Blue Ranger commented, "You gave an almost Fran-worthy ramble when explaining where you got our morphers."

"Yeah, I'm almost surprised now that you didn't say 'Breathe RJ' to yourself," Casey chimed in, having wrapped his outer shirt around his waist. RJ sighed, pushing his chair back a little further. He was too tired to try to wiggle his way out.

"So where did you really get our morphers from?" Lily grinned.

Fran remembered how the caller id had said 'Cranston'. Then she remembered the OBBO Valentine's Day dance.

"Your cousin made the morphers, didn't he? Billy Cranston of Triwolf Industries…"

Theo let out an admiring whistle. "Billy Cranston? He's your cousin? He's amazing."

RJ smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. Our moms were sisters. And before you protest, I should warn you that the Solar morphers weren't the first set of morphers Billy made- far from it."

Lily, Theo, and Casey exchanged unsure looks. RJ yawned.

"Look, how about you guys go down into the kitchen and explain things even more to Fran? Maybe tell her about your adventures. I need a nap."

"Right," all three Rangers nodded. Pleasantly Casey told Fran, "Come on, let's go."

But Fran kept looking over her shoulder at the semi-conscious RJ as the quartet made their way back downstairs.


	28. Chapter 28: Sacrifice

This is a direct sequel to "Reaction". I own neither Power Rangers nor "Kazul".

But first review credit time! Thank yous to Donna8 & talkstoangels77. YellowPrincess and Mellie Erdmann, don't worry Fran will confront RJ about the whole secrecy thing in this one-shot.

Oh, and in "Ghost of a Chance II" Fran acts like she's never seen the loft before. Good thing I had it dark & at night when she & RJ danced in it! Whew.

**28: Sacrifice**

It was evening. Bright and bubbly over their upgraded powers and latest victory the three Rangers had gone out to celebrate. Casey and Lily had both offered Fran to come along, with Theo grudgingly not arguing about her inclusion. But Fran had declined.

It was no point getting upset at the three of them for keeping the secret from her; she had decided that even before they had arrived back at the loft. Despite being Rangers, they still were a year younger than Fran. And Fran had seen the way the trio (oops, the Power Rangers) acted around RJ. Casey might be the Red Ranger, but RJ was the mentor. His word was final.

So basically RJ was the one who had gotten the Rangers to keep their identities a secret from everyone, including Fran. Now, in the big scheme of things Fran understood why. For starters, traditionally Power Rangers didn't reveal their identities. And there were reasons why that was a tradition: to let the Rangers have chances at normalcy, to protect those close to the Rangers from harm.

Was that latter why RJ had insisted on even her being in the dark? Fran was starting to get a headache from trying to figure out all the possibilities why RJ might have kept the truth from her. Then she realized that RJ was in fact just upstairs, so she could just go ask him.

Resolute Fran headed up the stairs back into the loft. When she and RJ had danced in it all those months ago it had been dark, so she hadn't fully appreciated its awesome scope until today. Now it was dark again, with RJ still asleep in his chair.

Fran could always see well in the dark, but now she was picking up on details that she didn't normal people could see. Was it possible to pick up on Ranger powers by osmosis? Or was it 'simply' because of the strength of her feelings towards RJ?

The many shadows on his face weren't just from the night, and his unruly brown hair seemed weary. His body was lax and exhausted. Fran, almost against her will, felt a hand clench around her heart. The Rangers (it was remarkably easy to make the transition from calling them 'the trio' to calling them 'the Rangers') had explained that RJ had traded himself for them. What had RJ undergone in Dai Shi's grasp?

Fran was afraid to know, but she hated being in the dark even more. Figuratively speaking, that is. Literally speaking, she had never been afraid of the dark let alone hated it. All her shadowy visitors had been friendly.

Since she was upset at him, Fran resisted the urge to pull a reverse Sleeping Beauty and instead gently shook his shoulder.

Blearily he opened those eyes of his that could drown in and looked up at her.

"Fran?" he yawned. With a sigh of defeat Fran crawled into his lap. Nestling up to him she sighed, hurt, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Fran. Look at me. This is what happens when someone without a morpher get mixed up with the Power Rangers," RJ responded wearily. "And I'm a Pai Zhua master."

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning, not to brag, but that I'm not half-bad at martial arts."

"Are the Rangers…?"

"No, they're training to become Masters someday though."

"Are you better at fighting than them then?" Fran felt her head spin as she said those last three words, and no it wasn't just because she was oh-so-close to RJ. She felt him shrug, his muscles shifting.

"Unmorphed, yes. But those morphers…" RJ let out a whistle. "My cousin outdid himself."

"Tell me more about your cousin. All I know is that he's Billy Cranston of Triwolf Industries, married to gymnast Kimberly Hart, and he's almost as cute as you. I mean, how did he get mixed up with Power Rangers?"

RJ chuckled. "He just had the right DNA at the right time. Or the wrong time."

Fran sighed. "So, you do trust me then?"

"I'd trust you with my life," RJ assured her. After all, his heart had slipped into her possession about a year ago. "I do trust you."

"It hurt. I don't like you keeping secrets from me."

"Now, Fran, that's not fair," RJ gently chided her. "You keep secrets from me, don't you?"

_He has a point_, Kazul pointed out unhelpfully. _Hey! RJ just gave you the perfect opening to tell him how you feel about him!_

_Hah-ha, very funny._

Out aloud Fran said, "Nothing so big as knowing who the Power Rangers are, though."

Kazul gave Fran a look. _Your love for RJ trumps the Rangers' identities any day._

_Aagh. Go bother someone else for a while!_

_Okay,_ Kazul agreed mildly, and left.

_Uh-oh_, went Fran. _Who else could Kazul possibly bother?_

RJ rested his head on Fran's shoulder.

"I think, maybe, I would have considered it… but then Casey had to rescue you. I don't want to get hurt, Fran. I couldn't stand it. Don't tell the Rangers, but your safe-being is more important than theirs."

And RJ had been willing to sacrifice his safe-being for the Rangers, Fran realized with a shiver down her back. What lengths would he go if she got in danger? Well, beyond going hyper overprotective to keep her out of danger. Softly she told him, "It's the same for me."

Gently, persuasively RJ kissed her for the sixth time. Fran opened herself to him as he opened himself to her. In time they pulled back.

"You are going to be okay, aren't you?" Fran asked fretfully, brushing back his hair like she had been doing so for years. RJ smiled, his tiredness having momentarily fallen away due to the kiss.

"As long as you're around."

"I'll be around for eternity, then," Fran promised, meaning it.

RJ shyly nuzzled her soft, sweet neck to feel her lifeblood pulsing.

"I'd like that."

Meanwhile Kazul had just echoed Fran's earlier query to RJ's wolf spirit.

You are going to be okay, aren't you?

I don't know, was all the wolf spirit could manage.

Kazul just preened him behind his ear.

I hope so.

Thanks.

Spotting the still off the hook phone Fran pointed out, "Maybe you should call Billy and tell him you're okay."

RJ made a face. "But I'm so comfortable, here with you."

Her heart racing Fran struggled to keep from blushing.

"Yes, well, your cousin does deserve an explanation and besides it's getting kind of late so I really ought to be getting home and who knows what Kazul is up to and besides if the Rangers saw us like this well then things would get weird real fast and-"

"Breathe, Fran," RJ laughed. "Who's Kazul?"

"Ah… good question." One Fran had no idea how to respond to so she changed the subject instead. "Look, your cousin must be worried about you. I mean, he might not know you're okay."

"Am I okay?" RJ mused, but then he gave Fran a grin. "All right, then, Fran. Good night; I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night, RJ," Fran replied, relcunently getting off RJ's lap. Kazul?

Coming! She replied, quickly finishing her preening of RJ's wolf spirit.

Waving farewell Fran left. Groaning RJ got out of his chair and made his way to the phone. Putting it back on the line, he then dialed Billy's number. And waiting for his cousin to pick up the line, which he did after a single ring.

"RJ!"

"Hi, Billy."


	29. Chapter 29: Lost

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

I'm already one one-shot away from the halfway point! How?

Note: nothing's happened since my last update (ie, the Power Rangers and Kazul aren't mine).

**29: Lost**

The Rangers had gotten Fran to eat a chocolate-covered anchovy at last, and so had retreated up into the loft to wind down for the night so they could do it all over again on the morrow. With a final laugh at their (and her) antics Fran reentered the main area of JKP. RJ was still sitting at the table where she and the Rangers had left him, gazing sleepily into the bowl of half-hardened chocolate. All the anchovies were gone, and the chocolate level was lower. Seemingly one person had actually enjoyed her "invention". But now that one person seemed more than a little out of it.

"You okay?"

"I don't know," RJ sighed. "I really don't know."

"This has to do with your battle with Dai Shi, doesn't it?"

RJ sighed, and looked over at her.

"Do you regret finding out, Fran?"

"Finding out what, RJ?"

Fran stared at the Rangers' mentor, totally confused. RJ gestured to encompass all of Jungle Karma Pizza.

"This. JKP, the Rangers, the job… me."

"Why would I ever regret that?" Fran demanded, dumbfounded. "I'd be lost without all of this."

Softly she added, "Especially you, RJ. I could never regret meeting you."

_Hear, hear!_ Kazul cheered. _He's the love of your life!_

_Not so loud, Fran sighed._

_Why didn't you deny it?_ Kazul demanded warily.

_Because it's true._

_About time you showed some sense_, Kazul commented approvingly. Fran just sighed.

"Why? Do you regret meeting me?"

"No, never," RJ confessed. "I'm just scared that you will. We're weird."

Fran raised her eyebrows.

"It's not like I'm the epitome of normalcy here, RJ."

That got a grin out of him.

"You're the safe haven, Fran. You're my rock, which since I'm the Rangers' rock, makes you their grandmother rock."

"Or I could just be the mommy rock with you as the daddy rock," Fran suggested. Then she turned as red as Casey's Ranger suit. "Not to suggest, I mean I know you're super busy with the whole helping the Rangers thing and now you're coping with whatever went down during your battle with Dai Shi and I don't mean to-"

"Breathe, Fran," RJ told her. Fran breathed. "Now continue. You don't mean to?"

Fran looked at RJ, really looked at him. She loved him with all her heart, but right now he was hurt in ways even he didn't know about. How could she risk asking for his when he was under that kind of stress? For once Kazul didn't or couldn't argue.

"I don't mean to worry you, but you're my safe haven. I mean, sure JKP is the physical manifestation of my haven but you're what makes it my safe haven," Fran kept her voice soft and low, stepping closer to RJ. "I'd be lost without you, RJ."

"I'd be lost without you, too, Fran," RJ nodded, reaching out a hand as if to touch her cheek but the gap between them was still too large. "Stay close for a while, otherwise I will become lost."

Fran nodded, pushing up her glasses.

"Anything for you, RJ."


	30. Chapter 30: Take My Hand

In a state of shock… the half way point? Seriously?

No, I own neither Power Rangers nor Kazul. The title was a given considering the events in it.

LOL! The JKP kitchen caught fire at some point? When was that?

**30: Take My Hand**

Fran had left to get RJ a glass of water after he had spilled his first one. Standing in front of the sink, the full glass on the counter, she fought back tears. She could lose him. She couldn't lose him, but she could lose him now. A sob racked through her body. Stupid of her to never have told him that she loved him. Now she might never get the chance.

It took Fran a minute to regain her composure. But then she picked up the glass and went up into the loft as if she just felt 'normal' concern towards RJ about his werewolf problem. Fran could now better understand RJ's worries about her regretting getting involved. Being part of the Power Rangers' world wasn't all colorful spandex and victories. There were real issues, like the one RJ was now grappling with.

As she walked down into the main area of the loft she kept her voice cheerful.

"Hey, RJ, maybe I could make you a pizza because the best thing to do-"

But RJ was no longer in his chair.

"RJ?"

Then she heard growling behind her. Turning around, she saw it. The werewolf RJ. It looked vaguely RJ-ish but he had black claws and a grey wolf head. And it didn't look happy. It was growling and moving as if readying for attack. Rin Shi.

Fran dropped the glass of water in her panic, starting to move backwards. The glass shattered onto the floor, splashing water everywhere as she kept moving back. But something deeper than Kazul told Fran that RJ was still in there.

"Huh, I'm not scared of you, RJ," she informed the werewolf in a wavering voice. Then Fran learned why walking backwards was a bad idea because she tripped and fell down onto a training mat. She kept edging backwards. Did werewolves eat people? Fran wasn't sure. But she was sure that this werewolf was **not** RJ.

"This isn't you," she gasped. Struggling for breath as the werewolf just continued growling Fran attempted to convince her RJ to come back while still inching backwards. "You, you are the kindest person I know."

She laughed nervously, because the expression on the werewolf's face didn't look friendly at all.

"You took me in, huh, you gave me a job," Fran got to her feet as she kept speaking, "you and the Rangers are my family. You wouldn't hurt a fly and you _won't_ hurt me."

Then the werewolf leapt down and landed on top of her, forcing Fran onto her back. Her heart pounding, Fran watched as the werewolf raised up a claw and seemed ready to lash it into her. She let out a slight scream at that. But it didn't attack her. It stopped, less than a foot away from her, and kept it steady. And its growls shifted, more confused than angry now. It seemed to be waiting.

Gently, timidly Fran pressed her hand against his claw. With all her heart she tried to convey her feelings towards RJ through her hand into its claw.

With a final growl fluxes of violet energy the werewolf disappeared, and Fran's RJ returned. He looked himself over, surprised, then got up. Helping Fran to her feet he marveled, "It's gone, I'm back."

Her breath uneven, Fran grinned widely. RJ hugged her.

"Thank you!"

"Well," she chuckled as they pulled apart. "Maybe next time you have a problem you will run to your friends instead of away from them."

"Now who's the master?" RJ praised her, obviously impressed and aware she was right. Fran looked smug. Then his face grew serious. "Speaking of friends I have some that I should run to right now."

He started to jog off, starting up the stairs, then paused and turned around. He hurried over to his wardrobe, getting out a small wooden box with elaborate carvings on it. RJ opened it, and the box emitted violet light onto his face. Then he closed it, turning away from the wardrobe.

As he walked off Fran caught his wrist. She gave him a tender, gentle kiss. She looked seriously into his brown eyes.

"Lucky number seven."

"Right," RJ nodded, still unsteady but now from the kiss than the wound Dai Shi had inflicted and Fran had just healed. Then he grinned cockily. "You might want to watch the TVs while I'm gone."

So on the TVs Fran watched as the monkey beat the Rangers but then RJ came onto the scene. To her surprise she watched him vanish in a flash of violet light and then reappear as the Violet Jungle Fury Ranger.

"Wow?"


	31. Chapter 31: Knight

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers, The Enchanted Forest, or Young Wizards.

You all (greentaurus33, Donna8, Mellie Erdmann, YellowPrincess, and talkstoangels77) have been great. Thanks for sticking with me! This kind of also explains how Casey how into such a mood during "There's No 'I' in Leader".

**31: Knight**

Everyone was still in a state of shocked awe that RJ was now a Ranger. But Theo, being Theo, had some questions for their mentor.

"RJ?"

"Hm?" RJ was watching one of the numerous cop/spy shows that were on TV nowadays, with Fran sitting on the arm of his chair. Wisely his three students had not voiced an opinion on this arrangement. Theo and Lily were rolling a ball back and forth between them while Casey was a little ways off, his JKP cap still on. Fran thought some seeds of concern were being planting about if his leader status would altered now that RJ was a Ranger. She hoped not. Casey was doing a great job as the Red Ranger in her opinion.

"When did you get the Wolf morpher?" Theo questioned, his mouth in a hard line. With a shiver Fran realized that Theo had a point. RJ looked down at his wrist.

"Shortly after I received yours."

"When why didn't you help us before?" Lily frowned, pushing back some of her hair behind her ear. RJ shook his head slightly.

"You three didn't need help before. And I wasn't ready. I had… doubts about my worthiness of being a Ranger."

Fran rolled her eyes and barely concealed a snort. If RJ's cousin's high school pictures were any indication RJ had the most impressive Ranger lineage of the four. Then again, that very lineage might have caused his concerns.

"You had no reason to doubt yourself, RJ," she scolded him, gently socking him in the arm. He was her knight, always had been and Fran hoped he always would be. But now Fran knew that RJ was her knight in shining violet spandex. And he looked cute in it but at the same time rather dangerous. Well, that's how knights were supposed to look like, Fran mused to herself.

_True_, chimed in Kazul. _Are you going to tell him?_

_Tell him what?_ Fran asked warily.

_That he's your knight._

_That's just my opinion, mind. It's not truly true._

Kazul just sniffed at that. Fran just sighed and leaned her head against RJ's. His hair was soft and fluffy.

RJ called out to his wolf spirit before he was lost in the bliss of being so close to Fran.

_Hey?_

_Sorry, _his wolf spirit automatically whimpered.

_Not your fault, _RJ assured it. _But we do need to talk._

_Uh-oh._

_You are a guy, right?_

_I should hope so!_

_How about… _And RJ stopped to think. Then he remembered a series Fran had gotten him to read_. How about I call you Ponch?_

_A __**NAME**__?_ His wolf spirit's elation was overwhelming. _AND SUCH A COOL ONE TOO!_

_Then it's settled?_

_Yes_, barked Ponch.

RJ and Fran nestled their heads together while Kazul and Ponch regrouped. New developments were skewing their original plan of getting their human spirits together way off. A different matchmaking plan would have to be forged.

Casey eyed RJ's wolf spirit and the pink bird-blob close together. On top of his darkening mood now he was 'seeing' things again. Hadn't his day been long enough? Sure, he was happy for RJ. But would he Casey remain team leader now that their mentor was also a Ranger? Casey realized he had adjusted to being the Red Ranger and he thought he was doing a good job. But what if RJ decided otherwise?

And furthermore was it just him or were RJ and Fran more than friends just like Lily and Theo? Didn't make him, Casey, an unneeded fifth wheel then?


	32. Chapter 32: Duty

I am not Haim Saban… ergo I don't own Power Rangers.

I am not Patricia C. Wrede… ergo I don't own the name 'Kazul'.

I am not Diane Duane… ergo I don't own the name 'Ponch'.

The term 'Neo' isn't copyrighted… I think. If it is, I don't own it. Safety first.

Got that? Good; now on with Ponch and Kazul plotting to create fluff for you to read later on!

**32: Duty**

_They're hopeless_, sighed Ponch as he and Kazul discussed their human spirits and their lack of progress in their romantic relationship yet again. _Maybe we should stop trying._

_Ponch!_ Kazul scolded him. _ It's our duty to get our human spirits happy endings!_

_They don't seem to __**want**__ a happy ending_, Ponch grumbled.

Kazul gives Ponch a sidelong look.

_Riiight. That's why RJ is always giving Fran big puppy eyes. Because he no longer wants her as his mate._

Ponch sniffed. _You make it sound like Fran is better. She has moved into the JKP!_

_Only because her parents went to that year-long conference in Switzerland_, Kazul retorted mildly, the edge to her voice implying she knew fully well the truth behind Fran's reasoning. After the scare with RJ's animal spirit she wanted to keep a closer eye on her loved one. Besides, the three primary-colored Rangers needed a maternal figure in their lives… and Fran was as close as they were going to get.

Both Ponch and Kazul sighed loudly. RJ and Fran were still being stubborn. Clearly the two shared a deep bond, as evidenced by Fran so easily healing RJ and Ponch, but the two humans were rooted in denial.

_It's hard to match make when you lack a corporal form_, Kazul observed. Ponch snorted his agreement. _No kidding. No mistletoe, no accidentally locking them into a closet together, no set-ups under a full moon… the most we can do is psychological wear-down of their excuses and we've almost run out of ideas on that front!_

_Almost?_ Kazul echoed, her interest piqued. _ I thought we __**had**__ run out._

_Mind control!_ And Ponch laughed, trying to sound diabolical, but failing miserably. Kazul groaned.

_You're still reeling from the whole control-loss mess, aren't you? Or have you always been this crazy?_

_I'm RJ's animal spirit,_ Ponch pointed out. Kazul had to agree that summed up the situation fairly well. But she didn't agree with his plan.

_RJ and Fran need to confess their emotions to one another honestly. It's a grave misuse of our powers to bend their wills to ours. That is what you were doing before, you know._

_I know, and I regret it. But this is different! This will make them happy!_

_So the ends justify the means?_

_I'm getting tired of waiting_, Ponch sighed, defeated. _I know it's wrong but I have no other ideas. You?_

_No_, Kazul had to admit. _But mind control is going too far._

_Yes. I know_, Ponch exhaled, flopping down.

_Hey, where are you going?_ Casey asked Neo, his tiger spirit who was loping off ahead of him. The Red Ranger had just gotten off his shift, and was doing his best to ignore the glowing pair over by RJ's chair. Neo looked back at him.

_To talk to RJ and Fran's main animal spirits._

_Fran has an animal spirit?_

_Yes, and it's getting stronger the more time she spends with RJ and the rest of you, _Neo explained. Casey raised his eyebrows. _So Fran is gaining an animal spirit by osmosis?_

_Something like that, _Neo half-shrugged as he continued over to the violet wolf and pink bird-blob. With a sigh his human side followed. Maybe both he and his tiger spirit were losing it.

_Greetings,_ Neo bobbed his head at the pair.

_Oh, hey, Neo,_ Ponch greeted the Red Tiger spirit. Kazul fluttered her half-formed wings.

_Hello, Neo. How are you?_

_Fine. Casey's still surprised that you are Fran's._

The two looked over at the wide-eyed Red Ranger. Ponch moved his head closer to Neo's.

_If I didn't know better, I'd say he could see us._

"But I can," Casey interjected. Ponch and Kazul looked at Casey in surprise; Neo was just smug.

Really? Kazul stated, doubt in her voice.

"Yeah, you're a pink bird-blob while RJ has a violet wolf of course."

_I need Fran to figure out what am I so I can have a proper form_, Kazul complained. Neo cocked his head at his fellow animal spirit.

_I don't recall having that problem with Casey._

_Casey's weird. He can see us,_ Ponch argued.

"Hey! I can hear you too you know!" Casey pointed out, more amused than miffed.

_Ponch shrugged, then the Violet Wolf got a gleam in his eye._

_Kazul?_

_Yes?_

_Remember how you said earlier in our conversation that our match-making abilities were severely hindered by the fact we lack corporal forms?_

Kazul sighed. _Quite._

Ponch looked Casey up and down.

_Well, he has a corporal form _and_ can communicate with us._

Neo looked as confused as his human spirit.

_What are you two up to?_

Ponch and Kazul exchanged a knowing look.

_You'll know soon enough…_

Both Casey and Neo were starting to have a bad feeling about whatever the pair had in store for them. Casey in particular was thinking this was **not** on the list of duties a Power Ranger had to deal with.


	33. Chapter 33: Song

Very funny. I don't own the Power Rangers. Or any of the songs mentioned or any named movies the un-owned by me songs were in.

I'm aware that this isn't the best one-shot in the world, but it's what the plot bunny provided.

**33: Song**

RJ's animal spirit issues had hopefully been resolved for good now, and oddly it had been Theo who had suggested the idea of a karaoke night to celebrate. JKP employees only, of course.

So after hours the Rangers got out RJ's karaoke machine and placed in the middle of the loft. With a gulp Theo went first as the karaoke night had been his idea. He sang "Blue Skies" from _White Christmas_ to a thunderous round of applause. A nervous grin on his face Theo stepped out of the limelight. Lily, a bounce in her step, went next, singing "Just a Little" from Kira Ford's just released CD.

Fran noticed a wry smile on RJ's face as Lily sang. She resolved to ask RJ about it later as Casey got up to take the mike.

The Red Ranger sang with an ironic note to his voice "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". RJ took the mike next, singing "Song of Joy". That left Fran, who with a pounding heart went up to the mike. Scanning the list of songs available she figured why not and sang "Life is a Highway". Her audience of three cheered afterwards, leading Fran to do a mock curtsy.

Then the three Rangers together sang "Everybody Wants to be a Cat" from the _Aristocats_. As RJ and Fran laughed and clapped Casey called out, "Hey, how about you two do a duet?"

While Theo and Lily started up a chant to encourage them up to the karaoke machine Casey whispered to Kazul, "How was that?"

_Word for word. Thank you._

_Indeed_, Ponch intoned. Kazul and Casey both gave the wolf spirit a look.

"He and RJ have been watching the Syfy channel again, haven't they?"

_This is why RJ needs a girlfriend_, Kazul shook her head. _Fran's just as bad about books._

Casey shook his head and laughed as he rejoined his friends. Abashed RJ and Fran went up to the karaoke machine together.

"Any ideas?" Fran asked.

"Uh… Enya?" RJ suggested, pointing at a song on the karaoke machine's screen.

"Sure. Her music is amazing," Fran agreed.

So together they sang the song "Wild Child". Their voices harmonizing, RJ and Fran brought the song to a close.

"Encore!" cheered Lily. RJ shot her a grin.

"Only if you three join us."

So all five sang "Kung Fu Fighting"… well, sang and laughed their way through that song in any case.


	34. Chapter 34: Confidence

Yeah, I returned to the old way of introducing the chapters. But I still don't own the Power Rangers. Or Kazul.

**Thirty-four**

**Confidence: RJ shows Fran some martial arts moves**

Fran watched on as RJ sparred against his three students, all of them dressed in their Ranger uniforms. Wow, they were good. If the other Ranger teams were even half as good as the Jungle Fury team she could see where the Power Rangers' winning streak came from.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement on the stairs. Turning to look, Fran saw Billy Cranston coming up the stairs.

_Finally_, she and Kazul chorused. Kazul added happily, _A chance to meet RJ's cousin at last._

Over the sounds of the Rangers' training Billy called out, "RJ!"

Fran and Kazul had to admit, RJ's cousin was almost as cute as RJ himself except where RJ had chocolate-colored hair and dark eyes Billy had golden hair and bright blue eyes. With a wide smile RJ greeted his cousin.

"Billy! Isn't this a surprise?"

"You know, you really ought to invest in a better security system, RJ," was Theo's verdict. "One of these days your surprise visitor might not be friendly."

Billy just smiled. "I _installed_ his security system, Theo."

"Oh," went Theo. Casey narrowed his eyes pensively at Billy, then turned to RJ.

"He's a Wolf spirit too, isn't he?"

"My standard main animal spirit is the Wolf," Billy agreed. Lily and Theo exchanged surprised looks; RJ looked mellow as always; while Casey and Fran looked confused.

Coming down into the main loft area Fran asked, "There are multiple kinds of animal spirits?"

"Yeah, how can that be?" Casey questioned. RJ walked over and slung an arm across Billy's shoulders.

"Well, considering how my cuz is the leading modern expert on that matter (as well as about two dozen more) I'll let him explain."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Billy untangled himself from his cousin prior to explaining.

"All right, thus far we are aware of three kinds of animal spirits. There are the standard animal spirits, which are the most common. They include any creature that is alive today in this dimension."

"There are multiple dimensions?" Casey asked, wide-eyed… mostly from how Fran was sidling up to RJ rather than from the idea of multiple dimensions. Although that was a cool concept.

"Yes; the magical dimension is the most prevalent one. So there are also magical animal spirits- dragons, unicorns, phoenixes, and the like. Finally there are ancient animal spirits- or dinosaurs and Ice Age mammals."

"So… standard animal spirits are most common then?" Theo theorized. Billy nodded. "Ancient animal spirits are the rarest while magical animal spirits are somewhere in between."

"Is there a correlation between rarity and the ability to access them?" Theo asked keenly. Billy nodded his approval, replying, "Affirmative. The rarer the animal spirits, the stronger your Power has to be in order for you to access it."

Lily, Theo, and Casey all looked over at RJ hopefully. Next to him, Fran giggled. RJ exhaled.

"Can we focus on stopping Dai Shi? Then maybe we can try to see if you all can access other kinds of animal spirits. Now I'm sure you have lots of questions to ask Billy so how about you three take him down to the kitchen and make him a pizza or something?"

"Right," nodded all three. Clearly plotting to get childhood dirt on RJ (something they had been leery to do with RJ's father, who they couldn't forget was also a Pai Zhua Master) they led Billy back downstairs.

RJ chuckled and shook his head before walking over to his chair and sat down into it. He eyed the now-empty stairs.

"I doubt they'll be back for a while."

He readjusted himself slightly and looked over at Fran hopefully. Her heart hiccupped. Scuffing her foot against the wooden floor, she blushed.

"Well, I was kind of hoping you could show me a few basic moves. I mean, it looks like fun. And…" Here Fran trailed off, unable to even ramble.

RJ's eyes softened as he rose up from his chair. He went over to her and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm sorry. I should have given you more time. I know I've been busy lately between training the Rangers and running the JKP but that's no excuse. I should never, ever take you for granted."

Fran blushed bright pink.

"I just felt a little left out is all."

RJ wrapped her up close in her arms.

"I don't want you to be left out," he said, his voice muffled against her hair. "I want you right in the middle of my life."

Fran's fingers instinctively curled into RJ's shirt.

"Good thing then that I want to be there then?" she laughed weakly.

RJ pulled back slightly, leaving her fingers tight on his shirt.

"Come on. I'll show you some basic punches and blocks while Billy spills all my secrets to my cubs."

RJ just hoped that Billy would have the kindness to keep back the trump card of his love towards Fran. Because he wanted to be the one to tell Fran that he loved her. Just not yet.


	35. Chapter 35: Darkness

Hello. This is PWP here. If any of you have a Wikipedia account go change something in JF's article NOW! It says that Fran has a huge crush on DOM! Gak. Yes, she hyperventilates when he offers her the ticket but wouldn't anyone? Besides, she does hyperventilate a lot. 

Hmph. I don't own Wikipedia or Power Rangers. Or the Enchanted Forest or Young Wizards or or Tamora Pierce's works or Harry Potter.

Furthermore after this only 5 one-shots within the JF season. Gulp. So we've jumped ahead a few episodes.

**35**

**Darkness: Fran comforts RJ about his dad**

RJ was sitting at the table up in the upper reaches of the loft, having given up on sleep. It had decided to pass him by tonight. As quietly as he could he slurped up his udon noodles using his chopsticks, which wasn't very quiet.

Shuffling out of the dormitory area of the loft Fran yawned, "RJ? What are you doing still up?"

"What are you doing still up?" RJ countered, his heart already starting to act erratically. Without her glasses Fran looked especially vulnerable but as cute as always. Plus she was wearing a fuzzy pink bathrobe over her pajamas; RJ himself just wore loose-fitting pants and a purple surfer-themed shirt. Fran yawned and shrugged sheepishly.

"I stayed up late re-reading _Terrier_. You?"

RJ did a shrug of his own. "Just couldn't sleep…"

"It's been a long day," Fran sympathized. "I mean… we met the anti-Theo."

RJ laughed almost against his will. "Yes we did."

Fran's look gentled. "We'll get your dad and the other Pai Zhua masters back, RJ."

"How can you be so sure?" RJ questioned. Fran eyed the pot on the stove. "Before I answer I want a midnight snack."

"It's a quarter after one, Fran."

"Fine. I want a quarter after one snack before I answer."

RJ got up and got out a bowl. Using the tongs to dump some udon noodles into the bowl, he commented, "Close enough?"

"Sure," Fran smiled semi-sleepily as RJ got out a second pair of chopsticks and returned to the table. "I know that you and the other Rangers will get back everyone because I know you guys. You won't give up. The Power chose you for a reason."

"You've been listening to Tommy's metaphysical lectures again, haven't you?" RJ grinned as he set the bowl and chopsticks in front of Fran before retaking his own seat. Fran shook her head resolutely. "No. Adam's."

"Ah."

Blowing a raspberry at RJ, Fran began to try to use her chopsticks to eat her udon noodles- emphasis on try. As he ate his own noodles RJ watched on with increasingly difficult to conceal amusement. Finally he stood up.

"Want me to get you some utensils?"

Fran watched her latest effort at a proper mouthful of noodles slip away back into the bowl. "Sure."

So RJ got out two forks and two spoons. He gave one pair to Fran but kept the other pair for himself. At first Fran was so focused on eating that she didn't notice RJ's own switch. When she did, her heart did a little flip. Aw. He didn't want to show off his chopstick skills so soon after her own failure with them. She gave him an appreciative smile which made him give her a slightly sheepish one in return.

"I wonder how the others are doing," RJ finally mused as they finished up their quarter after one snack.

"They're so cute," Fran gushed. "All four of them are in a puppy pile on Casey's bed. Well, I guess it's a kitten and baby rhino pile… what exactly is the term for a baby rhino? Is it calf? I know that's cow, elephant, and whale but I'm not sure about rhinos."

RJ got to his feet. "This I have to see."

The two went over to Casey's bedroom. True to Fran's statement the other four Rangers were all sprawled together on Casey's bed under a large white blanket with a yellow, blue, and red polka dot pattern on it. The order from the observers' left to right was: Dom, Casey, Theo, and Lily. RJ smiled, but clearly still tense.

"Why do I have a feeling Theo arranged things so that no one else could cuddle up to Lily?"

"And why do I have a feeling the other three (including Lily) let him arrange things so?" Fran giggled quietly. RJ wrapped an arm around her waist and nuzzled at her neck.

"They are cute cubs, aren't they?"

Fran just nodded, nestling up against RJ. Placing a hand over his heart she murmured, "I have to believe everything will end happily, because if I start to worry about what might happen to them, or to you…"

Her voice broke.

"Breathe, Fran," RJ assured her, leaning in for a kiss. Via their eighth kiss he told her that he would do everything in his power to protect his pack and her. Now Fran knew that RJ viewed her differently from the others, and not because she alone wasn't Pai Zhua. Pulling back, she exhaled his name blissfully.

"RJ."

In there was permission, and RJ in silence untied the knot of her bathrobe and caused it to slip down to the floor. Under it Fran was wearing pink capris and a tie-dyed shirt with the Hedwig slippers he had gotten her for Christmas. He held her close, enjoying just how well their bodies fit together, and how warm she was. She ran a hand through his hair.

"Should we?"

Both of them already had been forced to concede the answer, and neither Kazul nor Ponch could argue that the time was right.

"No," RJ sighed, still keeping his mate close. "You need to go back to bed. You're tired."

Fran blinked owlishly at him. "Will we ever…?"

RJ just kissed her headily, making this ninth kiss last as long as the other eight combined and cause them to feel as much as the other kisses. Fran rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes contentedly.

"I'd say we should make a pizza but it's the middle of the night and I am sleepy and we just ate. Maybe you should mediate- clear your mind. It might help you sleep."

"I'll do that," RJ agreed. He nuzzled the top of her head. "Go. Sleep."

With a yawn Fran picked up her bathrobe and went off to her room. RJ watched her go, adoring her. Then he returned to the main loft area and got out a mat as well as some candle holders. Putting in some candles, RJ got out a lighter to light them. Then he settled down into a cross-bun position and began to meditate.


	36. Chapter 36: Mirror

We're nearing the beginning of the third and final third of this Fluff Epic. I hope you guys stick with me… as evidenced on my profile I have a LOT more fluff in store. Yet not a single date in real life… I have issues- among them is the fact I own naught here but the plot bunny.

**36**

**Mirror: Fran thinks on the parallels between her & RJ and Lily & Theo**

Lily's luau was still in full swing. Everyone was eating and partying and dancing and drinking and doing the limbo. Of course, by 'everyone' Fran meant herself, RJ, and the other four Rangers. Still, six people could make one heck of a party- especially when almost all of them were also superheroes.

Pouring herself another cup of pineapple punch Fran felt a shiver down her back that signaled that RJ had come up behind her. And he had.

"Enjoying the party?"

Fran fingered the pink lei around her neck. "Yeah."

She looked over at the dancing Lily and Theo. "Theo is a real sweetheart deep down, isn't he?"

"Yes. But don't let on that we know… otherwise he'll have to destroy us."

His deadpan manner made Fran laugh. "Oh, RJ."

Her mouth slipped down a bit. "She is beautiful, isn't she?"

RJ barely glanced at the Yellow Ranger, preferring to look at Fran. "You're more beautiful."

Fran half-blushed. True… RJ had found her attractive enough to kiss her nine times. But Fran knew that the Yellow Ranger was by far the prettier girl. He brushed away some hair away from her face, telling her softly, "I mean it."

"You're biased," Fran rolled her eyes at him. RJ grinned at her.

"I wouldn't have myself any other way."

His grin altered slightly, becoming mischievous as he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "What about you? Do you find me attractive?"

"Very," Fran exhaled, her heart pounding between her ears. "RJ, we can't kiss in front of everyone…"

"Why not?" RJ reasoned, leaning protectively, possessively closer to her. Fran counted herself lucky that Lily and Theo were dancing while Casey and Dom were trying to master the art of limbo. So no one was paying any attention to them. She blushed as red as Casey's Ranger suit.

"RJ!"

"Fine," he sighed, withdrawing. Feeling a pang of wistfulness and guilt, Fran poured a second cup of pineapple punch and offered it to him.

"Want some punch?"

"Sure," RJ agreed, taking the cup.

Fran glanced over at the Yellow and Blue Rangers; she felt by watching their odd dance between friends and more that she watching the mirror image of her own dance with RJ. A slightly warped mirror, but a mirror nonetheless. Fran just hoped that even if she and RJ couldn't figure out their mess, that Lily and Theo could. At least one-half of the mirror should be happy.


	37. Chapter 37: Color

Hello yet again. More and more fluff I say! I do not own Power Rangers or the game Twister or anything YW-related or anything EF-related or Google.

Three more until Fran leaves… with Dom! Poor RJ.

**37**

**Color: Fran & RJ discuss the lack of Violet Rangers**

RJ and Fran were cleaning up the main area of the JKP after closing time. Having finished their duties for the night the others were upstairs playing Twister. As she swept up dust and crumbs with the broom Fran commented, "I'm glad Casey's animal spirit problems are over now."

"Me too," agreed RJ, wiping the counter. "Losing his animal spirit… even if he was misbehaving, I still **had** my wolf spirit."

Ponch whimpered_. I don't know what I'd do without you!_

_Same here,_ RJ replied. _Let's hope we never have to find out._

_Uh-huh._

Fran shivered as she remembered. "I almost lost you."

"You got me back," RJ assured her. Fran smiled at him. "I'm glad."

RJ nodded.

_TELL HIM! _Kazul raged. _TELL HIM THAT YOU LOVE HIM!_

_No!_

With a huff Kazul went off to grumble to herself. Fran shyly eyed RJ. There had been chances of going 'all the way' with him twice. What if the third time was the charm? She blushed. What if RJ thought she was wanton for so easily going to bed with him when really she loved him so much it sometimes hurt.

"What are you thinking about?'

Like she could tell him! Fran hurriedly rambled, "Oh, you know, just about random things. Anchovies, animal spirits, colors, how the colors match you guys, how come I don't have an animal spirit, and like-"

"Breathe Fran."

He loved her rambles. They were cute, like her. And honestly, RJ was a little worried about something. What if Fran thought he was attracted to her on just a physical level when really the physical attraction and the psychological attractions were all twisted together but were in equal amounts? That'd be bad. But it wasn't like he could tell her he loved her out of seemingly nowhere.

Ponch and Kazul, if they could have, would have done face-palms simultaneously.

Trying to breathe normally Fran commented, "Hey, RJ. I Googled it and it looks other than a bad guy two years ago in Briarwood who later was Red there has never been a purple or violet Power Ranger before."

RJ shrugged. "I am unique even by Ranger standards."

Fran smiled lopsidedly. "I wouldn't have you any other way."

The two exchanged grins as they wrapped up their cleaning up.


	38. Chapter 38: Green Eyed Monster

Oh boy. This is a big one (plot-wise anyway), which is why it was delayed. I needed to make sure I did the best possible job on it, even though I don't own Power Rangers.

**38**

**Green-Eyed Monster: RJ and Fran on Dom/Meryl**

RJ was reclining in his chair, trying desperately not to stress out. But he was failing miserably. The Violet Ranger was completely stressing out. Fran apparently was developing a crush on Dom. On his best friend. Gak. Sure, he knew love was an unbiddable force but RJ had always hoped in a little part of him that he could win Fran's heart. But judging from her actions today that chance was gone.

With a mournful sigh he got to his feet. He needed to go surf… something he had rarely gotten to do since leaving for the Pai Zhua Academy. Running the JKP and then being involved with the Jungle Fury Rangers had kept him away from the ocean. Maybe surfing could squish the green-eyed monster that was welling up in him, threatening to consume him.

The idea of his best friend and his mate getting together was making him more miserable than he had ever been in his life. But then, he reminded himself, Fran had never been his mate to start with. He couldn't make someone love him… despite the depth of feeling she had towards him, apparently her feelings were deeper with Dom. He stormed out of the loft.

In her room Fran was lying on her bed, thinking. She liked Dom a lot, **as a friend**. Her heart was RJ's. But she was jealous in a way. Dom had found it so easy to express his feelings towards Meryl, to go after Meryl and tell her how he felt about her. She couldn't do that, and it was clear RJ couldn't either. Nine kisses, as wonderful as they had been for her (and at least decent for RJ), did not make a romantic relationship.

Fran sighed and made a face up at the ceiling. The line that defined their relationship was so badly blurred… were they friends or mates? Mates. Where did she get that word? Probably picked it up from one of the Rangers, Fran decided. And yet, although in the end things failed for him, Fran had to admire Dom for being so open with what his heart wanted and needed despite the risk that Meryl might not feel the same. She was nowhere near that brave.

She couldn't risk losing RJ completely by daring to ask for his heart. She wasn't brave enough. Fran wished she and RJ could just sit down and sort things out. RJ's 22nd birthday had been last week, and he had looked straight at her after making his wish on his birthday cake candles. Why? Why would his wish entail her? Why did her life have to so like a labyrinth? She wanted a simple fairy tale where she and RJ could live happily ever after, but the chances of that seemed to be shrinking daily.

Meanwhile on the roof of the JKP Kazul, Ponch, Neo, and Casey were trying to sort out the mess that their match-making plot had become.

_Fran still loves RJ right?_ Ponch queried. Kazul nodded. _And RJ still loves Fran?_

_Forever and ever_, Ponch confirmed. The two looked over at the Tiger and his human spirit. Together they asked, _Ideas?_

"I'm tired out," Casey refuted. "Things are coming to a head with Dai Shi- I can feel it."

_Me too_, yawned Neo.

Ponch and Kazul listened for a moment before they nodded in agreement. Casey scratched the back of his head.

"Look, I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to make your human spirits see sense after Dai Shi is defeated, okay?"

_Okay_, conceded all three animal spirits. Ponch nodded.

_Right._


	39. Chapter 39: Triumph

One more within the JF canon season after this. Nope, Power Rangers, Enchanted Forest, and Young Wizards do not belong to me. 

**39**

**Triumph: the party after Dai Shi's defeat**

"PARTY!" yelled Casey before blowing a red noise-maker. His fellow Rangers and friends all cheered before blowing their own noise-makers. It was the evening after Dai Shi being destroyed once and for all. So everyone was in the loft blowing noise-makers and topping the pizzas with whatever they wanted. Which for RJ meant a lot of chocolate-covered anchovies and for Fran a lot of different cheeses sprinkled on top of the standard cheese. The two of them were eating at the base of RJ's chair.

Everyone else was scattered around the loft. Everyone else meant: Lily, Theo, Casey, Dom. Jarred, Camille, Flit, Master Phant, Master Swoop, and Master Finn. Pop music was playing, and everyone was laughing and talking. The world was safe once again due to the Power Rangers.

Fran got up to get more pizza. For a minute RJ just watched her walk away, appreciating her. She looked, smelled, tasted, felt, and sounded so wonderful especially when close to him like before. His dreamy smile fell away when Dom intercepted her, and for a minute they discussed one of the books they both had read. One of the problems of concealing his feelings towards Fran was that now Fran and Dom didn't realize how deep his feelings ran… meaning that Fran was free to fall for whomever she pleased. And that wasn't RJ.

Humming Fran was sprinkling candy corn over her new slice of pizza when a buzz in the back of her head and a skip in her heart made her realize that RJ had walked up behind her.

"Hey. That pizza slice looks as yummy as you."

"You think I'm yummy looking?" Fran asked, bemused. RJ, checking to see that no one was looking, leaned in to nuzzle at her neck.

"Among other things."

Fran closed her eyes to hone in on the sensations RJ was causing in her. "Mm?"

Gently RJ turned her around. "Fran, look at me."

Humbly she did so, overwhelmed by her dammed-up love for the Violet Ranger.

Never breaking contact with her eyes RJ kissed her for the tenth time. As her eyes fluttered shut Fran thought this kiss seemed different. More quiet, less pressure. As forever didn't exist. As if it was goodbye. The instant the thought crossed her mind Fran gripped RJ's shirt with her hands, drawing him in. No. She wouldn't lose him, because that would mean losing her heart.

But RJ ended the kiss, pulling away. There. He had gotten in a last kiss before Fran realized her feelings towards Dom, before she would have stopped him from kissing her. His voice hoarse he commented, "We ought to rejoin the party."

"Are you okay, RJ? I mean, you're acting like something's wrong but there shouldn't be anything wrong now that Dai Shi has been defeated and Ocean Bluff is safe and no one is dead not even Jarred and Camille even-"

"Breathe, Fran," RJ interjected, taking her hand in his. He brought up the hand to his lips, brushing them across her knuckles in a way that made Fran's heart skip a beat. "If you're fine, I'll have to be fine."

"Uh…" Fran supposed that was another Zen comment although it was like no other Zen comment she had ever heard RJ say before. "Okay."

"Come on," RJ did his best to grin despite the growing cracks in his heart. "Let's go be with the others. This is our party of triumph after all."

"You five deserve it."

"I know."

Fran managed to snap her candy corn pizza slice before RJ half-dragged her back into the party. Her heart was his, but more than ever she was wondering if his heart was hers.

Casey had seen the two of them in the corner, although everyone else had been (thankfully) preoccupied. He sighed and scratched the back of his head. So close and yet so far. Never before had that concept made more sense to the Red Ranger. Luckily with the world safe he would have plenty of time to help Kazul and Ponch with their schemes to hook up their human spirits- when he wasn't running the Pai Zhua Academy as its new headmaster, anyway.


	40. Chapter 40: Worst Case Scenario

Two-thirds done! Crazy, right? What isn't crazy is that I don't own the Power Rangers or the show I reference. RJ has been on it as someone else though, a bad guy alas. Now, here's some review credit!

talkstoangels77: thank you so much for being such a loyal reviewer & PM friend

Mellie Erdmann: your reviews always brighten my day; thanks

dillonforever: you're just going to have to wait & see; thanks for dropping by

YellowPrincess: patience, Padawan (George Lucas owns Star Wars, not I)

botanthegrimreaper89: not completely hopeless otherwise I wouldn't be writing a FLUFF epic

**40**

**Worst Case Scenario: Casey's feelings on Fran leaving RJ**

RJ was making a pizza in the kitchen of the JKP, tossing the dough into the air. But this was the only pizza RJ had ever wished he didn't have to make. It was a goodbye pizza. Dom was leaving for Europe that evening, and the White Ranger was taking RJ's mate with him.

With a growl RJ started to smear on the sauce, the dough now on the counter. He heard his teammates talking and laughing upstairs as Dom and Fran packed for the trip. Now RJ could be up there as well, but he knew that would just make his temper break loose and bad things would happen. First off, just because he couldn't have Fran's heart didn't mean RJ wanted to lose her friendship. And besides, it wasn't like Dom knew about his crush on Fran. He had hidden his heartbreak behind a smile and a 'breathe Fran' with the rest when she started to ramble excitedly. If she was happy he'd just have to get used to it.

_We could make them happiest, _Ponch grumbled. To the wolf spirit's relief RJ was too busy sulking to catch the slip. Ponch growled, _It's still not too late! Go tell her that you love her! __**Beg**__ for her to stay with you!_

_No._

_RJ!_ Ponch snarled, actually snarled, at him. _You're making everyone miserable by doing this._

_Not Fran and Dom._

Furious Ponch turned to go deep into the recesses of RJ's mind. As a parting shot he stated darkly, _You're going to regret this._

_I already do_, a shattered RJ thought to himself as he sprinkled cheese over the sauce, remembering with a aching pang the pizza-making lesson he had given her over a year ago now. _Oh, how I do._

Casey clattered down the stairs into the kitchen, dressed in a red turtleneck sweater and khaki pants. RJ wore a white chef's shirt with violet slacks. The Red Ranger frowned at his despondent mentor, teammate, and best friend.

"Robert James Finn, if you don't go upstairs right now and tell Fran how you feel about her I will be forced to take drastic measures!"

Taken aback by Casey's use of his full name RJ kept his eyes on the pizza, plopping chocolate-covered anchovies on top of the cheese. Attempting to keep his voice light he asked, "What do you mean, how I feel about Fran?"

Casey rolled his eyes. "First off, I have that handy sixth sense thing. Second, partially due to that sixth sense Ponch has been most talkative."

Rin Shi.

"It doesn't matter; she's going."

"She'd stay if you asked."  
"She'd regret it," RJ refused stubbornly. Equally stubbornly Casey refuted, "No, because you mean as much to her as you do to her."

"What do you know of what she means to me?" RJ laughed hollowly. Casey couldn't help a dry chuckle. "You forget: Ponch. I've had to put up with his, and therefore your, lovesick rambles on Fran. Thank everything that you two are past the haiku stage."

Oh, great. Casey really could talk with Ponch… or rather, Ponch had been talking to Casey. Slipping the pizza into the oven RJ sighed, "You're wrong, Casey. I can't ask Fran to miss out on the chance of a lifetime."

"So she can miss out on the love of a lifetime?" Casey asked incredulously. When RJ nodded, Casey stomped over and slapped RJ upside the head. When the Violet Ranger gaped at the Red Ranger he just smiled, "Don't say I didn't warn you. I can't make you do anything, RJ, but I think you'll find having a heart-to-heart with Fran is worth the risk."

"No."

Casey slapped him upside the head again.

"Ow," protested RJ without emotion. No physical pain could even try to trump his current emotional pain.

"I'm trying to get you to learn from the mistake you're making right now. Go, fix it. Because I have no idea if you'll get another chance to fix it," Casey whispered into RJ's ear. For good measure Casey slapped him upside the head one more time before returning upstairs to the loft. RJ stared into the pizza oven.

Scanning the loft Casey took in its occupants. Theo and Lily were nuzzling up by the fridge (at least **one** couple was happy); Flit was shooting hoops; but the two people soon-to-be leaving were nowhere in sight. Casey guessed that Dom and Fran were in their rooms so he loped over to Fran's room. Knocking on the doorframe he smiled.

"Can I come in?"

"Oh, sure, Casey," Fran smiled back distractedly, her trunk open on her bed and items scattered everywhere. "What's up?"

"Are you sure you want to leave?"

When Fran opened her mouth to argue Casey silenced her with a look. "You know who I'm talking about. It helped that Kazul has been quite explicit on what I ought to be doing to ensure that the two of you get together."

_KAZUL!_ Fran mentally wailed. But her inner voice was still stonewalling her after the two of them had a debate very similar to the one she and Casey seemed to be embarking on. Looking down at her trunk she argued, "Not that my feelings matter."

"No?"

"Look… he's been pulling away lately, making it pretty clear that he just wants to be friends," Fran muttered, finding herself fighting tears. Casey uttered softly, "He's just scared. Aren't you?"

"Oh, yes."

"Then why isn't he allowed to be scared too?"

"Being scared didn't stop me."

With a sigh Casey entered and slapped Fran upside the head. While she gaped at him he gestured around at the half-packed room.

"Then what do you call this?"

"Acceptance."

"Running away," Casey countered, considering giving Fran a second head-slap. He did so. Then he yelled:

"WOULD YOU TWO STOP BEING SO OBILIVOUS ABOUT HOW YOU TWO FEEL ABOUT EACH OTHER?"

"We aren't being oblivious," Fran sniffed, tears welling up. With a groan Casey gave her another head-slap for good measure before hugging her tightly.

"Don't let this ruin your life, Fran."

"I'm going to Europe; how is that ruining my life?" Fran cried, hugging Casey back. He whispered into her ear, "You know how."

Late that night, after a certain plane had departed from the International Angel Grove Airport, one could find the new headmaster of the Pai Zhua Academy banging his forehead against the wall of his office over and over again at the sheer stubbornness of his friends.

Casey feels your pain.


	41. Chapter 41: Competition

All right; some angst for a bit and then fluff at last. I own nothing recognizable.

**41**

**Competition: RJ and Fran miss each other**

RJ was in his chair, moping. The past fortnight had been the longest fourteen days in his life. No Fran at all. Was it possible to become addicted to another human being? If so, RJ was. He frowned. Moronic of him, to keep using excuses on why he couldn't or shouldn't tell Fran that he loved her. Now he never could, not even if she returned.

Fran was trying to get to sleep. In the adjoining bedroom, she could tell Dom was sleeping restlessly. He kept dreaming of Meryl. At least he had dreams of his love; never before had Fran missed the dreams more. Of course, she had never missed RJ before since he was always there. Wait, not true. She missed him when he was on his de-fishing trips. But she had his cell phone number and could usually call him if she missed him too much. Now Fran was scared to call RJ; what if her absence had made it very clear to him that he had confused friendship for something more? Because her absence from him had made it extremely clear to Fran that she loved RJ with all her heart.

Although she missed RJ the most it surprised Fran how much she missed Ocean Bluff and JKP and her friends. She had always thought she wanted to see the world; but that was before she had a world in a sense. When she had conceived her dream of travel she had no home to miss.

She had already seen a good chunk of Italy with Dom; they had spent the past few days in Greece and planning to take the train to Austria tomorrow which would take up a day or two.

Fran wasn't sure how long they'd be on the train; she was leaving the travel stuff to Dom since he was an old hand at this sort of thing where this was her first time outside of California. She couldn't wait to see Vienna where "The Sound of Music" had been filmed in part. She remembered how she had made everyone watch it… Casey was singing "My Favorite Things" for weeks afterwards. Luckily he could sing. But Fran knew he'd love to see Vienna. And whenever she saw anyone playing chess in the park she thought of Theo and all the chess games they played together. And whenever she saw anyone dancing she thought of Lily and her earnest attempts to teach Fran more dance moves… but although Lily was a good teacher Fran could only learn from RJ.

RJ. Robert James Finn. Her mate.

Fran sighed, rolling over in her hotel bed. Whenever she ate she thought of RJ and what he'd think of the food. Whenever she saw a sight she wondered what he'd think of it. Whenever she went to sleep, she'd wake up thinking she was home at JKP. It hurt each morning realizing that she was halfway around the world instead.

Maybe leaving was a mistake, Fran mused as she tried to fall asleep. But it wasn't like they minded her leaving. Besides, it wasn't like she wasn't going to return. She couldn't leave the JKP or RJ forever. Especially not RJ.

Half-dozing in his chair, RJ felt heartsick. No Fran. No Fran at ALL. There was no question of it; he missed Fran with every fiber of his being. Then he heard the footsteps of his cubs on the stairs so he did his best to perk up. As the trio entered the loft he called out, "Hey, what have you three been up to?"

"Flit gave us haircuts," Theo explained, running a hand through his newly shortened hair. Casey nodded, his growing hair trimmed again. Lily beamed, any uneven ends gone from her hair.

"It was nice of him. How are you doing, RJ?"

RJ ran a hand through his floppy hair, recalling how Fran in their rare moments alone had always ran her hand through it. That wasn't helping, when a part of him reminded him of her.

"I think I need a haircut."

His cubs blinked at him in surprise, but RJ just smiled weakly at them. He had no competition for his heart; Fran was his one and only. But apparently it was another story with Fran's heart.


	42. Chapter 42: Dependence

Disclaimer: I cannot claim the Power Rangers as mine.

You might want to reread chapter 11 before reading this just as a refresher.

**42**

**Dependence: RJ really, really, really misses Fran. And vice versa.**

You never know the worth of water until the well is dry. Or something to that effect. Being a Zen kind of guy, RJ thought he understood that saying. But now he knew that he hadn't. Not until recently.

It was the little things he missed most of all. Occasionally catching her scent; listening to her rave about the latest book she was reading; her curious but insightful questions about the Power; her smiles; the way she made his heart beat faster whenever he saw her. He hadn't realized just how much he had needed her, just how much he had depended on her, just how much he loved her, until she was gone.

And he might never get her back, not in the same way.

So RJ continued to stare at the purple sock lying on the counter before him. Casey had come in on one of his rare visits down to Ocean Bluff so he had gone to a movie with Theo, Lily, and Flit. RJ had been welcome to come along but he knew he hadn't been good company since they had left… together. Plus Ponch was giving him the silent treatment. What hurt was that Ponch had every right to do so- if RJ could, he'd probably give himself the silent treatment.

Intent on staring at the sock, wondering if he should do **it** or not since RJ couldn't find its mate anywhere in the loft or the JKP, RJ jumped when the phone rang. Hastily he answered it.

"JKP, RJ speaking."

"Hi, RJ!"

"FRAN!" RJ cheered.

_FRAN!_ Ponch perked up before remembering that he was supposed to be angry at his human spirit. _ Are you going to tell her?_

_Shush._

_That's a no,_ Ponch sighed wearily, turning his back on RJ. But he kept one ear pricked to eavesdrop on the conversation- just in case.

"I'm glad to see you! Or I guess it's hear you because this is a phone call, huh? I can't actually see you but I wish I could since I miss you most of all and I really miss you, well not just you but everyone at JKP but I really miss you and-"

"Breathe, Fran."

Fran breathed. "How are you, RJ?"

"Not fine. I miss my most loyal customer-cum-employee-cum-friend," RJ confessed.

The surprise was evident in Fran's voice when she asked, "Me?"

"Yes you."

"Oh. I didn't think you would."

"Of course I do!" RJ replied, startled. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Mm… you'd been acting distant lately. Not distant distant but at the same time you were acting kind of funny- not funny ha-ha but funny weird so I thought that maybe I had done something wrong and that-"

"Breathe, Fran. No. Not you. Maybe me, but not you."

"RJ, I could never be mad at you. But I think I have one of your socks, because it's not mine."

"How can you be sure it's mine?"

"It's violet."

"Ah… that would do it, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah," Fran giggled, holding up the sock to study it more closely. She had accidentally brought along one of RJ's socks, giving her the perfect excuse to call him. And he did miss her. But that just confused her more.

"I've been wondering where that sock's mate has been but of course you would have it," RJ commented. "Could you hold onto it for me?"

"Are you sure? I could just mail it back…"

"Do you plan on coming back?" fretted RJ.  
"Of course!"

Relieved by the confidence in her voice RJ commented, "Then my sock can wait for your sock."

Softly Fran inquired, "Does that mean you'll wait for me?"

RJ blushed. "… yes…"

Fran smiled faintly. "Good. Anything new going on?"

RJ ran a hand through his now neat and shorter hair. "I got a haircut. Flit might leave JKP someday to become a hairdresser."

"I can't wait to see it."

"How's Dom?"

"He misses Meryl; and of course all of you guys."

Okay… so Dom was still hung up on Meryl? RJ scratched at his head. This love triangle stuff was complicated… especially as it seemed to be turning into a love square. Was there even such a thing as a love square? Gak.

"But are you having fun?"

"Not as much fun as I thought I would."

"Fran, if you want to come home…"

Home. Fran closed her eyes, fighting back the urge to get on the next plane to Angel Grove International Airport and then the next bus to Ocean Bluff. "I'll be fine, RJ."

"Okay. Enjoy your trip, Fran. I… I miss you. I'll tell everyone you called; they're all out right now."

"Tell them hi and that I miss them too. Bye, RJ."

"Bye Fran."

And with that the phones were hung up. RJ looked down at the sock.

"Looks like your mate is still out there, pal. No button eyes for you, but neither a life alone. Lucky you." RJ made a confused face. "Wait. I'm envious of a **sock**? That's it: no more late night pizza for this Pai Zhua master."


	43. Chapter 43: The Call

Time for yet another angsty chapter of the un-owned by me variety. Anything you recognize is NOT mine, although I like to think I own the plot bunny.

;) to Kellybird.

**43**

**The Call: Fran calls RJ again**

It was a slow day at the JKP, so slow that Theo, Lily, and Flit had opted to play Go Fish. RJ was taking inventory in the kitchen when he heard the phone start to ring up in the loft. He called towards the others, "I'll get it!" before loping up the stairs.

"Hello?" he gasped, picking up the phone, trying not to get his hopes again. But as always he failed. There had been a moon cycle of drought since Fran's last phone call; the lack of her in his life was driving him _crazy_. Plus Ponch still wasn't speaking to him. "JKP, RJ Finn speaking."

"I know, RJ."  
"Fran!" he exclaimed. Unable to keep the whine from his voice he asked, "Why haven't you called?"

The odd random post card from both her and Dom didn't count. Especially since it was from her and Dom. Enough said, RJ felt.

There was a long pause. Afraid that he might have overstepped a boundary of some sorts RJ hastily added, "It's okay if you've been really busy and I do like the postcards but… I miss hearing your voice."

Fran sniffled. "I missed hearing your voice too. That's why I haven't called since."

"Don't cry!" RJ panicked. "Wait… if you missed me, you can call whenever you want."

Fran looked out her hotel room window at the lush greenery of Ireland. "But hearing your voice just made me more homesick."

"Fran…"

"I want to come home."

"It's not home for me without you, Fran," he informed her softly. Fran smiled weakly, half-begging, "Fine. Can I come back, RJ?"

"What about Dom?" RJ hated himself for asking but he knew it had to be done. Fran shrugged blandly.

"He's as happy as a rhino on the savanna. But I'm a homebody I guess."

RJ closed his eyes, wondering if this was a dream, hoping it was not. "Then come back, Fran. I miss you."

"Okay. I'll be home in four days."

"Home."

Without any other words the call ended.


	44. Chapter 44: Time

RJ has lost his Zen. And since I never owned the Power Rangers, I could never lose them.

Ditto for Young Wizards.

**44**

**Time: RJ is counting down the days until Fran's return**

Just two more days, two eternally long days, until Fran returned to the JKP. RJ was pacing in the kitchen; it was after hours, with Flit up at the academy and Theo and Lily off on a date. A hundred thousand questions were running through his mind.

What if Fran didn't like him in a more than just friends way? What if she had fallen for Dom and he wasn't just freaking out? How would that affect their relationship? RJ had learned the hard way that he couldn't endure being Fran-less very well.

What if she didn't like his new look? What if FRAN had gotten a new look? Or what if she did like his new look? Or what if she didn't notice that he had a new look?

A new, insidious fear that had been creeping up on RJ over the previous two days, ever since Fran's phone call. Despite his keen longing and his reaction to hearing her voice again, a part of RJ was concerned that distance hadn't made his heart fonder. AAH!

_You're overreacting,_ Ponch observed, scratching his ear_. Stop that._

_I am NOT overreacting, _RJ retorted, quickly looking himself over in the back of a sauce ladle. _Do I look okay?_

_Fran won't be home for 2 days_, Ponch reminded his human spirit. _You're so overreacting._

RJ rolled his eyes. Ever since the knowledge of Fran's imminent arrival he and Ponch had resumed speaking terms for better or for worse. Then he froze as a truly horrible thought occurred to him.

_WHAT IF SHE DOESN'T COME HOME? What if she changes her mind and stays with Dom?_

Ponch groaned and rolled over. _Angst, angst, angst. That's all I've been putting up with ever since Fran left. You need to eat more sugar or something. Actually, I take that back. Sugar is the last thing you need. The first thing you need is to tell Fran that you love her._

_Gak._

_No gak,_ Ponch informed his human spirit firmly. _Promise me that before the end of 2008 you WILL tell Fran that you love her._

_How about by Valentine's Day 2009?_

Ponch made a low, threatening sound in the back of his throat.

_Fine. I'll tell Fran that I love her by the end of 2008. _

Ponch let out an elated bark. _YES!_

Due to the magnified stress he was feeling RJ began to bang his head against the kitchen wall.

_Oh, would you stop that_, Ponch protested. _It's about time you told Fran how you feel about her._

_Is it? _RJ fretted.

Yes, Ponch retorted firmly.

Just two more days until Fran came home. RJ had been keeping the fact of that to himself even though he knew he ought to tell the others. They were her friends too. But he liked having this warm little glow deep in him, not sharing it with anyone. Furthermore, he was the one most invested in Fran returning, so he ought to be the one to know.

Of course the others had noticed he'd been more cheerful lately but they hadn't guessed why, which was fine by RJ. He wanted to keep Fran's return between him, Fran, and admittedly Ponch for as long as he could.

Besides, they'd know in two days. And he'd know if he really ought to fulfill his promise to Ponch then too.


	45. Chapter 45: Home

I'm now three-quarters of the way through with this fluff epic! Wait, is that a bad thing or a good thing? Either way I still don't own Power Rangers.

* * *

**45**

**Home: RJ takes Fran home**

Fran had gotten off the plane without issue, and had even managed to obtain her luggage. But now it hit her. She now had to get out of Angel Grove Airport and then figure out how to get back to Ocean Bluff, Jungle Karma Pizza, and (most importantly) RJ.

Looking around Fran saw a couple of signs on white poster board, usually stating a person's name. Then she saw one that said "Delivery to JKP". With a grin smile she headed towards that sign, suspecting she knew who would be holding it up, but stopped when she gave the person holding it up.

RJ hadn't been kidding about the haircut; his hair was now only marginally longer than Casey's or Theo's, and he was clean shaven like he had been on the night of the OBBO's Valentine's Day dance. Currently he wore a sleek black turtleneck sweater, a violet T-shirt with a black lightening bolt to one side, black jeans, and sneakers. Fran looked down at herself. She was wearing khaki pants, a pink shirt with three-quarter sleeves, sneakers, and her hair was in two pigtails. In other words, RJ looked different in a very excellent way while she looked the same as usual.

Then he spotted her and waved energetically. "FRAN!"

Ponch leapt out of him and the violet wolf spirit launched himself at Fran, toppling her over before licking her face fiercely. Her luggage sprawled around her from the impact.

No one else seemed to notice; then again, Angel Grove was the hometown of Power Rangers so maybe everyone was used to the idea that ergo the city was also the hometown of unusual events.

_Oh, Ponch, grow __**up**__,_ Kazul rolled her eyes at the wolf's antics. Fran just let the elated wolf spirit lick her, mostly because she wasn't sure if he was solid enough for her to push him off her.

Coming over to her, RJ recalled Ponch into himself. Blushing furiously he helped her, saying, "I'm so sorry about him, he's been so bouncy lately… we got into a fight because he figured you wouldn't have a way to get to Ocean Bluff and well, I didn't want to impose…:"

Fran hugged him. "I'm glad you did."

After a surprised moment RJ hugged her back. Once he released her he noted, "I'd better help you pick up your luggage."

"Oh, yeah."

The pair split the luggage in half before heading out of the airport. RJ led her over to a JKP Jeep, dumping the luggage into the back. Fran did the same with her share. Dangling the keys in front of her face he asked, "Do you want to drive?"

"No thanks," Fran shook her head. "I'm out of practice."

"As long as you don't drive over the bluff again I'll be honored to give you a refresher lesson," RJ offered. Fran blew a raspberry at him before retorting, "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"It gave me my first grey hair," he responded with dignity as he got into the Jeep.

Fran just hopped into the passenger seat. Shyly she told RJ as he buckled up, "I like the new look. You look elfish."

RJ blushed, well aware that Fran had bestowed a high compliment upon him.

"Thanks. Your hair is longer now," RJ observed, tugging on a pigtail before igniting the engine. Fran blushed and looked down at her hands in her lap.

"Should I get it cut?"

"That's up to you; either way you're the cutest girl I know."

Fran blushed and still refused to meet RJ's eyes as he drove out of the airport's vicinity. RJ was equally embarrassed about the slip. As they drove down the highway between Angel Grove and Ocean Bluff there was a quiet silence. Kazul asked Fran, _Aren't you going to say anything?_

_Like what?_

_Um… I missed you, how are you?, I love you, how are the others?... lots of options._

_Nice try, but I'm not going to tell RJ that I love him. I don't know if he feels the same._

_Ai ai ai._

"Fran?"

She started. "Yes?"

"Are you glad to be coming home?"

"Yes. The JKP is my home… sorry it took me so long to realize it."

"You have nothing to be sorry for; although, the JKP wasn't exactly home for me until you entered my home," RJ confessed. Fran finally looked up, a gentle smile on her face.

"You're right. The JKP wasn't home without you whenever you went off on de-fishing trips."

"Sorry."

"Now who's apologizing without cause?" she gently teased him. Then she gasped in realization. "I have your sock somewhere… I'll find it when I get home."

"Yeah… its mate has been lonely long enough," RJ agreed. Ponch sniffed, _Enough with the allegory of socks! Just tell her you love her!_

_Not now. She just got back._

_Grr._

_Would you just tell him that you love him?_ an exasperated Kazul demanded of her human spirit. Fran retorted, _I don't think he loves me. So why should I tell him my feelings if they'll just end up messing things up?_

Kazul snorted her disbelief at that. _Yeah, right. He clearly adores you. Just listen to him talking about one sock missing its MATE. He has blatant projection issues._

But that made Fran realize something else. "Hey, RJ?"

"Yes?"

"How do you know when a sock is missing its mate?"

"I buy pairs of socks individually so that no pair is identical to another," RJ explained proudly. "Or I buy a bunch of white socks and give them each a unique color when I tie-dye them."

"Wow, RJ. That is so neat. I think I'll start doing the same."

"Really?" RJ almost looked over at her in surprise before remembering that he was driving. Fran giggled. "Sure."

Her tone became wistful as she changed the subject. "I'm surprised that the others didn't insist on coming with you, though."

RJ blushed. "I wanted to give them a surprise so they don't know."

"RJ!" Fran yelped.

Ponch covered his eyes with his front paws. _You also wanted Fran all to yourself._

_Shut up._

_Since when have I done that?_

RJ was stumped to answer.

"So they don't know I'm coming home?" Fran demanded, amused almost against her will. A very sheepish RJ nodded.

"I should have told them, huh?"

"Yes," Fran smiled. "But it's okay. We haven't gotten alone time in a while, have we?"

"No," RJ breathed. "No."

"I… I miss our alone time. Remember? Back before Jungle Fury started? I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved helping you guys save the world, well, at least after I learned that you guys were the Power Rangers because before the idea of you in particular keeping secrets from me hurt and then that werewolf problem you had had me really worried for a while and plus-"

"Breathe, Fran," RJ chuckled. "Yep, you're officially home. I told you to breathe."

"Uh-huh," Fran agreed happily.

It was mid-afternoon when the JKP Jeep pulled into the lot behind the JKP. Carrying Fran's luggage the pair entered through the back door.

"_**WELCOME HOME FRAN!"**_

Both Fran and RJ were flabbergasted. Everyone was crowded in the kitchen, and the table was groaning under the weight of a giant tiered cake decorated with chunks of marzipan and sugar made to look like pizza toppings. Or at least, Fran hoped they were chunks of marzipan and sugar made to look like pizza toppings. Party hats, streamers, and balloons in yellow, blue, red, violet, white, and pink were everywhere. A giant banner with the phrase 'Happy Homecoming, Fran' arched across the room. Flit blew a noisemaker after the shout.

Fran looked over at RJ. "I thought you didn't tell them?"

"I didn't!"

Casey had the decency to look sheepish. "I got Ponch to tell me."

"And you had cheered up a lot the past three or so days," Theo noted. Lily nodded. "We're not blind, RJ."

Master Swoop looked over at her.

"Er, we're not oblivious," Lily quickly amended her statement.

Fran beamed. "I'm glad I'm home."

"So are we," Lily beamed back. Everyone else nodded their agreement.

First order of business? While everyone sliced up the cake (which both Ponch and Kazul rather unhelpfully compared to a wedding cake to their respective human spirits) Fran found the purple sock buried inside her luggage and presented it to RJ. He stuck it into his pocket and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thank you, Fran. I'm glad you're home."

"I'm glad too," Fran replied happily.

Flit whispered to Casey, "And so the soap opera resumes!"

"Flit," Casey half-laughed, half-groaned.


	46. Chapter 46: Youth

I do NOT own the Power Rangers. The lack of canon RJ/Fran fluff should make that evident.

A happy early Thanksgiving to everyone!

* * *

**46**

**Youth: RJ & Fran cope with a kids' birthday party**

Fran had been looped into hosting another kids' birthday party at the JKP again. But she had higher hopes for this time, as RJ was going to be helping her. She had been home for a week now. It was almost as if she had never left, but at the same time things occasionally popped up that proved that things had changed and that she really had left for a time.

For starters Theo and Lily were dating now, which was cute but made her feel a stab of jealousy every time they got mushy around one another. But she was happy for them, because their total happiness was so blatant.

Then there was Flit, who had settled into the rhythm of JKP life during her absence. That was taking some time to get used to. Plus Casey and Dom weren't around anymore, which were two more changes to cope with.

But it was okay, because RJ was still in the JKP. He was still her rock, and she dearly hoped she was still his. However for now she needed to focus on the final preparations for the birthday party. So she finished hanging up the pastel-hued streamers and brought out the large chocolate cake made for the occasion. Pizza bites, diced fruit, and mac & cheese were among the other items on the buffet. Lemonade and fruit punch were the beverages.

Coming out of the kitchen with colorful balloons trailing behind him RJ commented, "Wow, it's looking great, Fran."

She blushed. "Yeah, well, I just hope this birthday party goes better than the last one I had to oversee."

"I'm sure it will; if necessary I'll use some Pai Zhua techniques on them."

"RJ!"

"Like mediating," RJ replied blithely as he arranged the balloons in various locations of the JKP. Fran just looked at him from over her glasses. He grinned, "Mostly. It depends on the kids…"

"You are so silly sometimes," Fran informed RJ.

"I know."

"I- I wouldn't have you any other way though."

"I wouldn't have you any other way either," he replied softly. Fran's heart skipped, knowing full well what she had meant by her statement and wondering if RJ had meant the same.

_Duh_, was Kazul's opinion.

_I wish I was as confident about RJ's feelings towards me as you_, Fran wished.

_Hello? I am part of you so technically you _are_!_

_Uh…_

_What?_

_Do I have a multiple personality disorder then?_

_No… multiple spirit disorder on the other hand… _Kazul trailed off meaningfully. Fran just went, _Uh-huh._

Kazul retreated, grumbling under her breath about oblivious human spirits.

Soon the kids stormed the JKP and the party began. Fran and RJ kept the kids happy and busy and full until their parents came to pick them up. Once the last kid was gone the pair collapsed down in front of the counter, their legs sprawled out in front of them. RJ observed, "Kids are can be so energetic at times."

"Uh-huh," Fran nodded, feeling her bun at the nape of her neck to see how much it had fallen apart during the festivities.

"You look wonderful," RJ assured her. "Don't ever think otherwise."

Fran blushed but didn't reply.

Taking a deep breath RJ mused, "I wonder if I'd make a good dad."

"What are you talking about? You are a great dad- to Casey, Lily, and Theo."

"True. What about you?"

Fran scrunched up her nose. "You aren't a father figure to me, RJ. That'd be just gross considering how I want to kiss you."

All the color drained from her face as desperately tried to salvage the situation. "I mean, uh, I should have said, um, er, I do know that it's been a while and you might not want to anymore but I really want to but it's okay that-"

"Breathe, Fran," RJ smiled gently at her. "You're more or less the Rangers' mom, don't forget. So if I'm the dad and you're the mom… you can kiss me if you want. I want you to kiss me too."

"Okay."

Fran leaned in and gently overlaid RJ's lips with hers. The eleventh kiss was one of reunion, of relief, of realization. Of romance.

They pulled apart at length, and RJ smiled gently at her. "I missed you when you were gone."

"I missed you when I was gone. I don't think I could leave you again."

"I don't think I would let you leave me again."

Fran leaned in and rubbed her nose against his. "No, but I won't let you leave me."

The two smiled happily at one another. It was just the two of them again, just like it had been before.

Ponch and Kazul exhaled blissfully. Another step towards RJ and Fran's happily ever after had been taken.


	47. Chapter 47: Truth

Hi, it's Pink Wolf Princess. Yes, I know it's been like forever. Please forgive me.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Young Wizards, Star Wars, the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, NCIS, or Power Rangers. 

* * *

**47**

**Truth: Fran and RJ learn many truths**

RJ and Fran had gone shopping to stock up the loft's kitchen for the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner later that week. Everyone had contributed five items and/or dishes to the list, everyone meaning Lily, Theo, Casey, RJ, Fran, Flit, Jarred, and Camille. Some dishes were… kind of creative, not that it mattered at the JKP.

As she pushed the cart, Fran asked RJ, "So, who will be do first?"

"How about Jarred? He did a turkey, lots of stuffing, cranberry, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes with marshmallows. How did such a good-natured, traditional, and down to earth country boy end up getting possessed by Dai Shi?"

"I have no idea. But at least someone had the sense to ensure we'll have some classic Thanksgiving items at our dinner."

"Yeah."

So with RJ doing the heavy lifting Fran started to fill up the shopping cart with a decent-sized turkey, two cans of cranberry, a box of stuffing, a bag of potatoes, a smaller bag of sweet potatoes, and a bag of marshmallows. RJ checked off each item as it went into the cart.

"That's Jarred. Who should we do next?"

"I suppose we ought to do his girlfriend, Camille, next."

"Okay- I have a fairly open mind when it comes to food, but I have to admit that I am glad Jarred talked her out of the chocolate-covered bugs idea."

"Me too." Fran nodded.

"Okay, so… caramel apples, baked beans with hot dog chunks, French fries, sushi, and corn bread. Quite a variety there… I don't think she quite grasps the concept of Thanksgiving yet."

"It sounds yummy though."

"Good point."

After another dash through the store obtaining the needed ingredients for Camille's dishes RJ suggested, "Flit next?"

"Okay."

"Spaghetti with meatballs, pepperoni pizza, chocolate chip muffins, chili, and lemonade."

"Oo, a beverage. I think we still have plenty of lemons in the fridge though, so we're already good for the lemonade."

"Why… oh, right. My failed effort to create a lemon-flavored pizza dough."

"I liked it," Fran assured RJ. "Now come on, let's go!"

While RJ was mentally debating whether or not to make homemade chili or to simply buy a huge can of pre-made chili Fran asked, "Hey, RJ?"

His concentration broken RJ asked, "Yes?"

"Way back at the OBBO Valentine's Day dance Emily implied that you never have had a girlfriend. If not, why not? Is it because of your Wolf spirit?"

"Pretty much, I guess," RJ replied uncomfortably. His heart had been holding out for Fran, and now that it was hers he would never get it back. Not that he minded. What he did mind was that he had no clue whether he really could hope he'd ever get Fran's heart in return or not.

"Oh. You're holding out for that special someone?"

"How about you?" RJ turned the tables without answering. "I'm still confused on whether or not you like Dom in that way or not."

Fran gaped at RJ for a minute. "_**What**_?"

"Er… you don't?" RJ blinked in surprise. Suddenly a lot more made sense to Fran. RJ had been worried she had been developing a crush on Dom all this time. Giving RJ a Gibbs-slap she informed him, "I'm more likely to take up bungee jumping."

"But you acted so _jealous_ when Dom was mooning over Maryl…"

Shaking her head Fran told him, "I wasn't jealous of what Dom was feeling towards Maryl… I was jealous of how easily he was able to express what he was feeling towards Maryl."

"Oh. I feel stupid now."

"What part of going to your friends instead of running away from them didn't sink in?" Fran demanded, poking RJ in the chest with her pointer finger. "Clearly you've been stewing over this since the Maryl incident and yet you never thought to ask anyone their opinion?"

_Not even me, _Ponch unhelpfully pointed out. _I could have told you Fran and Dom didn't have crushes on one another._

_Then why didn't you?_

_Aren't you listening to Fran? You never asked. There's a point where even_ I_ can't get facts through your head._

"RJ, are you listening?" Fran exhaled with exasperation, noticing his far-off expression. RJ looked troubled. "I'm trying."

"Clearly you don't listen to Yoda either. There is no try."

"Oh yeah… I just, I mean…"

"Besides, if you thought Dom and I had crushes on one another why didn't you ask either of us? Because clearly you never went to Dom with this idea."

"I was scared that I would be right," RJ mumbled.

Fran blinked. "Why?"

_Because he loves you?_ Kazul tried. Fran hushed her, telling Kazul, _I want RJ to say it, if he can say it, not you._

"Why? Why? WHY?" RJ echoed, his temper rising every time he said it. The Pai Zhua pizza-making master had finally hit his breaking point. "Can't you get it, Fran?"

"Not unless you tell me, not unless you can provide me with the knowledge that'd it be okay if I told you what matters most," Fran informed RJ grimly. "I am not a mind-reader, RJ."

With a short-tempered growl RJ took her face into his faces and kissed his mate hard. Pulling back only when they were both short of breath he gasped, "That's your why."

One hand unsteadily gripping the handle of the shopping cart Fran shook her head. "No, that's our twelfth kiss. I'm a reader, RJ. I need words, please please _please_ give them to me."

For the first time RJ saw the blatant aching in her brown eyes, the tenderness she held in them when she looked at him. He met her eyes with his own green-grey ones, letting her see all he felt for her in them. After a brief mental calculation he spoke.

"Your why can be summed up in sixteen words: I **am** your mate, and as a Wolf I have and will love you for eternity."

"Oh," she breathed. "Can I be your mate for eternity?"

"You don't have to ask," RJ informed her, sealing their newborn relationship with a brief, blissful thirteenth kiss. Fran tousled his still-short brown hair. "I'm checking. You have never needed to be jealous, RJ- I think we were just friends at the start but well…"

"We're soul mates, aren't we?"

"Yep," Fran beamed in giddy relief. "I love you, RJ. But I think we'll need to fully declare our love for one another later… when we're not in the middle of a grocery store aisle."

"We love food… it makes sense we'd reveal our love for one another surrounded by food," RJ shrugged. Fran smiled at him. "Two things. One, we really ought to decide whether or not to make chili at the JKP or just get a canned version. Two, does this make me your girlfriend and you my boyfriend?"

"For the second, yes and yes. For the first… well, everyone else will be helping us cook so we might as well get chili ingredients rather than canned chili."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" she agreed.

Once the required chili ingredients had been loaded into the cart Fran tugged on her ponytail. "Who should we do next?"

"Casey."

"All right… you know, Casey did try to get me to stay instead of going on that trip with Dom. I think he knew that my going would delay us getting together."

"Uh-huh. He Gibbs-slapped me three times as part of his attempt to make me make you stay."

"No kidding? He gave me the exact same number of Gibbs-slaps! Oops, off topic. What dishes did Casey pick?"

"Baklava, corn, peas, croutons, and dill pickles."

"Those last four are easy, we can just buy them… but baklava? That takes forever to make! Or so I've heard."

"I did Casey actually started on the baklava late last week… I just listed it because it is one of Casey's five dishes."

"Whew, okay. Let's go to the vegetable section then."

Once all of Casey's needed items had been gotten RJ listed, "Here's Lily's list- apple pie, biscuits, pears, chocolate fudge, and brussel sprouts."

"All right."

As RJ picked out pears for the bagful they were getting Fran watched him. Was it really that easy? Poof, she was now RJ's girlfriend and he was her boyfriend?

"Yes, it's that simple, and I've been freaking and stressing out enough for the both of us these past few months so stop."

When Fran opened her mouth RJ just overlaid it with his own. It was a few minutes later when they separated for air, ending kiss number fourteen. Fran raised her eyebrows at the former Violet Wolf Ranger.

"So I'm not a mind reader but you are?"

"I can't read minds but I like to think that I can read your overall mood fairly well."

"It's just…" Fran took a deep breath. "I love you more than anything, RJ."

"It's same for me about you," he reminded her. "I think we've earned a happy ending, Fran. We're at the moment of 'and they lived happily ever after'. Just go with it."

"All right… so, we ought to do Theo once we get the pears, huh?"

RJ nodded, still a tad uneasy on how Fran had changed the subject. "Right. Here; you can read Theo's segment while I finish up getting the pears."

"He has rice, tea, applesauce, broccoli quiche, and a gingerbread house. Uh… isn't it a little early for gingerbread houses? I mean, sure I like them but one of the few things I dislike about the holiday season is how early it starts- really would be a crime to hold off on the advertising until December 15th or so-"

"Breathe, Fran. I doubt it's too early for a gingerbread house, as I heard Lewin mention that he and Theo always made one as kids for Thanksgiving. Plus they're tasty."

"All right then."

As RJ made space for the gingerbread house kit in the now rather full and heavy shopping cart Fran commented quietly, "RJ, what will change?"

RJ gave her an amused look. "I've loved you for probably about a year now, and I'm guessing it's roughly the same for you. We'll still be a lot as we are, especially at first, we'll just be able to express everything we feel to each other now. Plus I think we'll get even closer now that we know we can get even closer."

Fran thought this over, and then smiled widely, giving RJ a brief but tender fifteenth kiss.

"You're right, you're absolutely right."

With a contented smile RJ asked, "Me or you?"

"You."

"Stromboli, buttery toast, chocolate-covered anchovies, stuffed crust pizza, and kettle corn."

While RJ found a safe place for the loaf of white bread – the last of his needed items- Fran recited her five items from memory.

"Candy corn, root beer floats, chickpeas, fried rice, and sesame chicken."

"Sounds like you had a lot of unorthodox Thanksgivings," RJ noted, remembering how he had returned from a Thanksgiving dinner with Master Mao, Master Swoop, and a few of the other Masters to find a wistful Fran on his back stoop last year. Fran looked uneasy.

"They were okay."

"Well, this Thanksgiving will blow them all out of the water," RJ promised. Fran beamed. "Of course it will- it's the first Thanksgiving as us as a couple!"

For a response RJ just kissed her for the sixteenth time, not stopping until both of their minds had devolved into mush. Fran blinked happily up at him.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

I hope all that fluff makes up for the delay… whether it did or didn't, please review!


	48. Chapter 48: Chance

So it's here at last- real RJ/Fran fluff. Yay for you guys!

Plus it's my birthday! Go me! However I own nothing recognizable.

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**48**

**Chance: RJ and Fran tell the others that they're a couple**

"Breathe, Fran." RJ told his girlfriend as she hyperventilated while they were getting the last of the Thanksgiving dishes. Fran stared at him through her glasses. "How can I breathe when we're about to tell everyone we're together!"

"Relax; they're our friends. I think they'll be surprised but happy," RJ beamed, giving her a quick peck on the forehead. "Stop worrying."

She just smiled weakly up at him. RJ was wearing a V-neck violet sweater with black slacks while she wore a pink sundress. They were hosting a Thanksgiving luncheon in the JKP loft. They had decided to keep their altered relationship low-key, announcing it at this very dinner since everyone important would be present already without any suspense.

Out on the main floor of the loft a rectangular table had been set up, and it was almost literally groaning under the weight of all the dishes. In addition to Casey, Lily, and Theo also attending were Jarrod, Camille, Flit, Master Phant, Master Swoop, and Master Finn. Truth be told, both RJ and Ponch were a tad worried about how that last one would react.

_But Fran is worth whatever happens, if anything happens, _Ponch observed. RJ agreed, _Uh-huh._

Meanwhile Fran asked Kazul, _Do you think they'll approve?_

_Casey will._

_Well, I meant everyone else._

_Oh no, no, no, no, no, no! Ponch and I have NOT come so far for the two of you to go the star-crossed lovers route,_ Kazul reprimanded her.

_Er, Ponch?_

_Never mind._

_We are so weird… luckily for us RJ is just about as weird._

_Yep! More than you know._

_Okay… not even going to ask_, Fran decided, shaking her head slightly out of bafflement.

By now RJ and Fran had walked down the steps to the main area of the loft. RJ had pushed his chair to the head of the table for his seat. So everyone hurriedly took their seats, performed a Thanksgiving prayer, and began to eat.

As everyone dug in, heaping various foods onto their plates RJ coughed nervously. Everyone turned to look at him. Fran was on his left while Casey was on his right with everyone else was spread out down the sides of the table. Awkwardly RJ said, "Fran and I need to tell you guys something."

Camille opened her mouth but Jarrod covered it. "Doubtful, dear."

She just licked his palm to get her boyfriend to remove his hand from over her mouth. Taking a deep breath RJ told the group, "Fran and I are now dating."

Camille looked over at Lily. "You mean they weren't dating before?"

"Yep."

"Weird…"

Master Phant inquired, "This is a big deal, why? We all knew you two were going to end up together probably before you realized it."

He looked around at everyone. "What's the expression RJ uses for these sorts of scenarios?"

"They were too close to the pizza to see the pepperoni," supplied Master Swoop. Master Phant nodded. "Exactly. It was like that."

RJ and Fran gaped at everyone. At length Fran squeaked, "You guys knew?"

"It was kind of obvious," Theo apologized. Everyone else nodded. Theo continued, "Everyone could tell the difference in how you two were acting."

"Being involved with the Power Rangers is like being part of a soap opera… Rita told me that once," Camille noted. "Apparently she was right."

RJ looked at Camille oddly. "When did you talk to Rita Repulsa?"

"About 13,000 years ago," the black-haired woman shrugged. "It was at my sister's coronation as the queen of vampires…"

By now everyone was staring at Camille. Under the table Fran's hand found RJ's and squeezed it happily.

"Well, I suppose now is a good enough time as any to start living that happily ever after," she whispered. RJ smiled. "You're right."

"I usually am," Fran teased him, leaning over for their first 'public' kiss.


	49. Chapter 49: Yield

Happy Valentine's Day! No, I do not own anything you might recognize (ie, Power Rangers, NCIS. Young Wizards, Enchanted Forest books, etc.).

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**49**

**Yield: Fran & RJ prepare for Christmas… and mistletoe**

Theo was singing along to the radio as he wrapped tinsel around the upper loft railing since it was just two weeks until Christmas. Seeing Fran struggling to properly set up the fake Christmas tree he called down, "Fran, do you want any help with that tree?"

"No," she responded seconds before falling down with the tree on top of her. Theo tried again. "Fran, do you need any help with that tree?"

"I think I'm good," came Fran's voice from under the tree. Rolling his eyes Theo resumed singing along to the radio. RJ came up the stairs a few minutes later when Fran was still struggling with the fake evergreen. He took a double take.

"Um, Fran?"

"Uh-huh?"

"Do you require any assistance?"

"I'm good, RJ," she assured her boyfriend. Clearly doubtful he went up to the upper level of the loft where Theo had moved on to false garlands of evergreens to wrap around the railings to contrast with the tinsel. Curiously he asked the other Ranger, "Theo, do you think Fran is okay?"

Theo looked down at the brunette woman- her glasses were askew, there were bits of green tangled in her hair, and there was a stubborn expression on her face.

"We're Power Rangers. 'Okay' is a very loose term when it comes to us and our friends."

"True."

"How's Lily doing?"

"I sent her and Flit to restock the pantry," RJ told Theo. Nodding, Theo kept twining the garlands. Thoughtfully Theo commented, "Do you think we should have mistletoe?"

"I got some and put it up," RJ beamed. Theo noted, "You just want to get yourself and Fran under it."

"And what was your reason for wanting mistletoe? For you and Lily to be caught under it together?"

"True," Theo half-smiled. "Maybe you could convince Fran to at least take a mistletoe break?"

Ponch wagged his tail. I like that idea!

RJ had to admit, he liked that idea as well. So with a farewell he bounced down the stairs to the main loft area. Gently he hugged his girlfriend from behind.

"Fran?"

"Yes?" she responded, leaning back into him. Nuzzling at her neck RJ suggested, "There's mistletoe at the front door again- this time it's on me."

"Well… okay," Fran smiled, putting down the faux tree parts. "Let's go."

As he led Fran down into the JKP, RJ knew for sure that it would be a very happy holidays indeed with Fran as his girlfriend and plenty of mistletoe around. And judging from Fran's expression, she felt the same way about him.

Back up in the loft, having finished his decorating, Theo had grabbed a mop and was doing singing along loudly but well to the radio's music.


	50. Chapter 50: One Moment

I'm back. Without owning anything recognizable- Power Rangers, the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Young Wizards, Christmas carols, etc.

Alas, there are only 10 one-shots left. Also I started my first poll. If you want to check it out, please do so.

* * *

**50**

**One Moment: some surprising developments occur**

After a while everyone had given up and Casey and Jarrod had gone out to buy a live evergreen instead of everyone trying to put together the artificial one. Besides some slight molting, it looked quite pretty in the middle of the loft. Already a number of presents had been set up under the tree.

Fran staggered out of her room, her arms full of newly-wrapped gifts for all her friends. Yesterday she had mailed her parents' gifts since they would be at a conference in Hong Kong until after New Year's. Mentally she asked Kazul, _Are you sure you don't want a present?_

_Yes, I'm sure. And don't expect one from me. I can't exactly stroll into a store after all._

_I know. But a Merry if early Christmas anyway._

_Right back at you, Fran._

Humming "Deck the Halls" Fran arranged her presents in pink wrapping paper under the tree. She could see Lily's yellow wrapped ones, Theo's blue ones, and Flit's grey ones. Casey, Jarrod, and Camille would be arriving soon with their wrapped gifts. Masters Finn, Swoop, and Phant would be coming by the upcoming weekend to drop off their own gifts. But someone's gifts to everyone else were missing from under the tree.

RJ was lounging in his green armchair, watching the Shrek Christmas special. Fran walked over and poked her boyfriend in the arm. Looking up, he beamed boyishly at her.

"Hiya, Fran."

Smiling back she replied, "Hiya, RJ."

He scooted over so that there was just enough room for her to squeeze in next to him. Happily snuggling up to him Fran still asked, "RJ, why aren't your presents under the tree yet?"

"I have them… I just haven't wrapped them yet."

Fran kissed him on the cheek. "I'm just checking."

RJ exhaled contentedly as he turned off the TVs via pressing a single button on the remote control. "I know."

The two were still cuddling when Casey, Jarrod, and Camille showed up with an actual wheelbarrow of presents which Casey had dragged up the stairs. It was full of red, black, and dark green wrapped gifts. Getting out of the chair RJ and Fran helped the trio put the presents under the tree. Scrunching up her shoulders in excitement Fran beamed, "This Christmas is going to be so much fun!"

"I know, right," Casey agreed, wearing a Santa hat. While the others caught up Camille had wandered over to the bookshelf and was skimming a book. To his surprise RJ recognized it as the book of Pai Zhua which Fran had given him so long ago.

_Huh. What's up with that?_ Ponch puzzled. RJ mentally shrugged. _I have no idea. Let's go ask her._

Loping over RJ asked, "Hey, Camille. What's up?"

"Just looking over this book… it's from about 100 years ago, yes?"

"Um, yeah. My cousin says it was written by the ancestor of one of his friends."

"Fascinating… it's the politically correct version of course, but there's still some truth to the text."

"It all dovetails with what Master Mao told me, Dom, and Jarrod," RJ refuted. Camille raised her eyebrows at him. "I was there for a chunk of this, and I heard various first-hand accounts from others. Trust me, this is the politically correct version."

Jarrod walked over. "What are you two up to?"

"Apparently Master Mao gave us the whitewashed version of events," RJ responded dubiously. Camille commented, "Of course, the final battle and the events leading up and away from it all sound accurate. But yeah, most of the rest is fudged and tweaked.

"Why wouldn't Master Mao want the truth to come out?"

Camille snorted. "I don't know that much. I just know what's in this book is misleading- probably on purpose."

Jarrod and RJ exchanged anxious glances. Curiously the former asked, "Do you know who would know the full story now that Master Mao and Dai Shi are gone? Jarrod? Did Dai ever mention anything to you?"

"Dai Shi didn't dwell on the past," Jarrod apologized. "Camille, do you have any ideas?"

Camille shrugged. Before RJ or Jarrod could press for further information Casey called out, "Hey guys, I thought we were going to make a dessert pizza for dinner tonight?"

"Okay, let's get started," Jarrod submitted with a grin. Camille hurried after her boyfriend while a pensive RJ brought up the rear.

Late that night RJ found himself looking out the glass ceiling of the loft while sitting on the railing of the upper level. Wearing her Hedwig slippers and her pink bath robe Fran shuffled out of her bedroom. With a yawn she told her boyfriend, "Come on, RJ. It'll be a long day tomorrow with all the holiday traffic that's starting up. You need your sleep."

"Can't sleep."

"Why not?" Fran inquired, sticking her hands into her robe's pockets. RJ looked over at her. "I just can't figure out why Master Mao wouldn't want the untarnished truth about his and Dai Shi's history to come out."

"Maybe it was just too painful."

"Maybe."

"They're both gone now, RJ. Let them rest in peace," Fran advised him. "It's the only way you'll get any sleep."

RJ hopped off the railing to walk over to his girlfriend. Hugging her he whispered into her ear, "I don't know what I did to deserve someone like you."

Turning bright red Fran rambled, "You wouldn't believe how many times I have asked myself that same question. I mean, I'm just me where you're YOU. You're just as amazing inside and out, plus you care for me in a way I didn't anyone would ever-"

Instead of saying 'breathe, Fran' RJ kissed her, since it was the only way he wanted to quiet her rambles nowadays. After a few precious minutes he pulled back. "I love you."  
"I love you too."

Letting out a small yawn RJ conceded, "I am tired. Night, Fran."

"Night, RJ," she smiled as she took his hand, leading him back to his bedroom so she could return to hers.


	51. Chapter 51: Dawn

Disclaimer: Power Rangers, YW, and the Enchanted Forest Chronicles aren't mine. And the editing was done by talkstoangels77.

And this is kind of ironic… huh. And now there are 9 one-shots left. Eep.

* * *

**51**

**Dawn: RJ and Fran stay up all night**

The first to fall was Flit at nine-thirty. Then Lily and Theo cuddled up and conked out a little after ten. Jarrod and Camille followed suit less than a half-hour later. Close to eleven Casey tucked himself in under a red blanket. Of the celebrants at the JKP RJ and Fran were the only ones still up at midnight.

On the TV screens the ball dropped. Jammed together on the green armchair the pair exchanged grins.

"Happy New Year, Fran."

"Happy New Year, RJ."

_Happy New Year, Ponch._

_Happy New Year, Kazul._

With a yawn RJ wondered, "Now what?"

"Go to bed," Fran replied, resting her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. RJ made a face, protesting, "But it's the first day of 2009!"

"And it still will be when we get up," Fran reasoned. RJ sniffed at her hair, grumbling, "I want to stay awake with you."

"Well…" Fran trailed off. The wolf Pai Zhua Master beamed, knowing he had won. The two brunettes stayed in the chair though. Adjusting her glasses Fran asked, "But what can we do?"

"Talk?"

"About?"

"Books? Pizza? How yummy you smell?"

"RJ!" Fran yelped, but she was silenced by a kiss.

"It's true," he stated firmly. "You are extremely yummy."

Fran looked unsure of how to feel about that sentiment but when RJ kissed her headily again she decided it couldn't be anything bad. So she snuggled even closer to him.

"Rock Paper Scissors?"

"Okay."

After about forty minutes it got old, especially after they lost count of who was winning. RJ handed Fran the remote so she could flip through the TV's channels to find something for them to watch. But it was New Year's and not much of interest was on.

"We could make out?" RJ offered. Fran opted to take him up on that. It was close to three when they broke apart for more than thirty seconds. With a dazed giggle Fran commented, "I will never get tired of kissing you."

"Right back at you."

Shyly she cupped his slightly scratchy cheek. "I love you, RJ."

"And I love you," RJ responded. Exhaling he observed, "This is going to be a great year."

"Uh-huh," yawned Fran. "Can we go to bed now?"

"No."

"But RJ-"

"Please?"

"But what can we do?"

"Cuddle and talk?"

"Okay," Fran conceded, slipping her hand down from RJ's cheek to place it over his steadily beating heart. "Okay, I can't imagine a better way to get the new year going."

"Ditto."

So the two talked until the dawn of a new year streamed in through the glass-paneled ceiling. Only then did they succumb to sleep, nestled together in the green armchair.


End file.
